1 


MEMORIES 
OF  THE   CRUSADE 


THRILLING  ACCOUNT 


OF  THE 


GREAT   UPRISING  OF  THE  WOMEN  OF  OHIO  IN 
IS/3,  AGAINST  THE  LlQUOR  CRIME. 


BY 


MOTHER  STEWART, 


THE  LEADER. 


*       l     t       » 


"Peace  hath  her  victories 
No  less  renowned  than  war." 
— MILTON. 


(THIRD  EDITION.) 

H.  J.  SMITH  &  CO., 

CHICAGO,  PHILADELPHIA,  KANSAJ 

CITY,  OAKLAND,  CAJU 

1890. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress  in  the  year  1888, 

By  MISS  MATTIE  CAMPBELL, 
In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress  at  Washington,  D.  C. 


TO  MY  EVER  DEAR  SISTERS  OF  THE  CRUSAUE  WHO 
STILL  REMAIN  IN  THE  FIELD,  AND  TO  THE  MEMORY 
OF  THOSE  WHO  HAVE  RECEIVED  THEIR  DISCHARGE 
AND  GONE  HOME,  ARE  THESE  MEMORIES  OF  THE 
CRUSADE  LOVINGLY  DEDICATED  BY 

THE  AUTHOR. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

First  Steps  in  the  Temperance  Work. — Modest 
Beginnings. — Notes  of  the  War.— The  Ever 
Present  Saloon. — Influence  on  the  Students  of 
the  University. — An  Appeal  to  Ministers  and 
Professors. — Resolution  carried  into  Ministe- 
rial Meeting 17 

CHAPTER  II. 

War  Closed.— Disastrous  Effects  of  the  Drink 
upon  Soldiers. — My  first  Work  in  the  Temper- 
ance Cause  in  Springfield,  Address  at  Allen's 
Hall. — Visiting  the  Court-room,  Address  the 
Jury  and  Win  the  Case.  — Appeals  lor  Help 
from  Drunkards'  Wives. — Received  first  Bap- 
tism in  my  Peculiar  Field  of  Labor. — Second 
Case  in  Court. — Letter  from  a  Drunkards' 
Wife. — A  Drunkards' Reply 27 

CHAPTER  III. 

In  Court,  Presence  of  Ladies,  Exciting  and 
Affecting  Scenes. — Verdict  of  Jury  for  Plain- 
tiff.— Case  Appealed 53 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Committee  of  Ladies  Visit  Council  with  Peti- 
tions.— First  M  ass-meeting  at  Lutheran  Church. 
— Call  to  Osborn,  Organization  of  the  First 
Woman's  Union. — Visit  a  Saloon  on  the  Sab- 
bath.— Second  Mass-meeting. — Crusade  opens 
in  Fredonia  and  Jamestown,  N.  Y. — God's 
Answer  to  the  Scoffing  Philistine 60 

CHAPTER  V. 

The  Uprising  at  Hillsboro  and  Washington  C. 
H. — Scenes  and  Events  as  Narrated  by  the 
Press 92 

VII. 


VIII.  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Progress  of  Work  in  Springfield. — Fermented 
Wine.  — Springfield  Organization. — Presenta- 
tion of  Plan  of  Work, — Pledge  Presented  in 
Church  and  Sunday-school. — A  Strong  De- 
mand that  Men  Shall  Vote  for  only  such  as 
will  Enforce  the  Laws 105 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Glad  News  Pouring  in. — Uncertainty  of  its  Suc- 
cess in  Large  Places. — Discouraging  Advice. 
— First  Visit  to  a  Saloon-keeper. — Visit  from 
Reporter  of  Cincinnati  Commercial. — Letting 
out  of  Troubled  Waters. — Views  of  Mr.  Brown, 
Cincinnati  Gazette  Reporter,  on  the  Springfield 
Situation. — Further  Report  of  Hillsboro 119 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Further  Reports  of  Washington  C.  H. — Wilming- 
ton takes  up  the  Work.  — New  Vienna. — 
Waynesville. — Franklin 140 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Organizing  a  Band  and  Moving  out — Visiting 
the  Lagonda  House,  Addressing  the  Throng 
on  the  Street. — Report  and  Sketches  by  J.  R. 
Chapin,  of  Frank  Leslie's. — Mass-meeting. — 
Reports  of  the  Crusade. — Scene  at  Spangs. 
— Incident. — Arrival  of  Dr.  Lewis  and  Van 
Pelt 160 

CHAPTER  X. 

Second  Visit  to  Osborn,  Leading  out  the  Band. 
— Spread  of  the  Work 186 

CHAPTER  XI. 

Morrow. — Trial  of  the  Crusaders. — Greenfield. — 
Xenia. — First  Surrender  and  Exciting  Scenes. 
— South  Charleston. — London. — Athens 205 


CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XII. 


IX. 


Enlisting  the  Children. — Marysville. — Columbus 
Convention,  Resolutions  and  Plan  of  Work. — 
Sprinkle  of  Politics 226 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

Moving  into  New  Headquarters. — Liquor  Men's 
Petition  to  Council. — Westville  Organized. — 
Middletown. — Bellefontaine. — Kenion  ;  Chil- 
dren's Meeting.  — Sidney.  — Marion. — Ash- 
land.— Letter  from  the  Sick-room. — Letter 
from  the  Penitentiary 246 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

Chillicothe. — Visit  to  Emmet  House. — Liquor 
Men's  Meeting.  —  McArthur.  —  Marietta  — 
Children's  Home. — Women  on  Picket  Duty. 
— Gallipolis 270 

CHAPTER  XV. 

Working  Men's  Mass-meeting — Called  to  a 
Serious  Experience. —  Somerset. —  Story  of 
Major  B. — Clark  County  Organization. — Ex- 
citing Election. — Called  to  Pomeroy*. — Mid- 
dleport. —  Ironton. —  Dayton.  -  Story  of  the 
White  Hyacinth 293 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

Constitutional  Convention  at  Cincinnati. — Call 
to  Bucyrus. —  Visit  the  Convention. —  Pitts- 
burgh.— Fairmont,  W.  Va. — Return  to  Pitts- 
burgh.— A  Thousand  Women  on  the  Street — 
Crusaders  Watching  the  Legislators. — Smug- 
gling Liquor. — Crusading  a  Beer  Wagon 315 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

Mt.  Vernon.  — Troy.  —  Eaton.  —  Delaware. — 
Cedarville. — Incident  at  Newark,  Prophecy. 
Urbana. — Lagonda  House. — Bucyrus;  Second 
Visit. — Outrages  upon  the  Crusaders. — White- 
ley's  Speech 334 


x-  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Cleveland,  Another  Sore  Trial. — Cincinnati  Cru- 
saders Arrested. — Pittsburgh  Crusaders  Im- 
prisoned ;  Riot  Averted.  —  Chicago  Mob. — 
Portland,  Oregon. — Cleveland  Mob. —  Cali- 
fornia Outrages. — Political  Aspects  of  the 
War 361 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

First  State  Convention  at  Springfield. — Work  in 
the  State. — Defeat  of  License. — At  Perrys- 
burg. — Tiffin. — Franklin.— London 387 

CHAPTER  XX. 

Meeting  of  Committee  at  Delaware. — Mixing  up 
in  Politics. — Call  to  Chicago. — Reports  of 
Meetings. — Big  Rapids,  Michigan. — Jackson, 
Michigan.— First  National  W.  C.  T.  U.— 
Appeal  and  Plan  of  Work  — Benefits  of  the 
Crusade. — Reports  of  the  First  Six  Months 
Work  in  Springfield. — Enumeration  of  Benefits 
of  the  Crusade 407 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

Tales  of  the  War. — Incidents  and  Anecdotes, 
Amusing  and  Pathetic 438 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

Work  in  Virginia,  —  Waterford.  —  Lincoln. — 
Hamilton. — Leesburg. — Blue  Ribbon  Move- 
ment.— Col.  Realf — Franklin,  Ind. — Louis- 
ville.— Chattanooga,  Tenn 484 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

Atlanta,  Ga.  —  Cold  Water  Templars. —  First 
Public  Meeting  in  Dr.  Height's '  Church, 
Organize  First  Union. — Dr.  Norcross'  Church. 
— First  Colored  Union  at  Storrs'  Institute. — 
Griffith. — Macon. — Forsyth. — Chattanooga. — 
Reports  from  Members  of  Committee. — Bloody 
Copiah. — Retrospection  and  Summing  up 510 


SKETCH  OF  MOTHER  STEWART, 


By  the  Editor  of  the  Daily  Republic  of  Springfield,  a* 


OTHER  STEWART  is  a  remarkable  woman 
and  she  has  had  a  remarkable  career.  She 
is  one  of  those  individuals  who  seem  to  have 
been  born  to  meet  the  demands  of  special  emergen- 
cies. Mother  Stewart  was  possessed  of  qualities 
which  enabled  her  to  become  eminent  in  two  great 
public  crises — first,  during  the  war,  when  she  became 
prominent  in  her  earnest  and  very  effective  work  in 
the  line  of  relieving  the  needs  of  Union  soldiers  in 
hospital  and  in  the  field.  She  was  a  mother,  indeed, 
to  thousands  of  soldiers,  who  gave  her  the  title  which 
she  has  honorably  borne  ever  since.  It  was,  how- 
ever, in  the  great  and  spontaneous  uprising  and 
crying  appeals  against  the  wrongs  and  hurt  inflicted 
by  the  liquor  saloons,  which  moral  revolt  was  known 
as  "  the  Crusade,"  that  Mother  Stewart  performed  a 
work  which  gave  her  a  personal  fame  on  both  conti- 
nents. She  was  one  of  the  first  of  the  world's 
women  to  raise  the  banner  of  revolt,  and  so  great 
was  her  zeal,  and  so  robust  and  boundless  her 
courage,  that  she  accompanied  her  prayers  and  her 
marchings  upon  the  streets  with  an  attack — with  the 
gospel  in  one  hand  and  the  law  in  the  other — upon 
the  saloon-keepers  themselves. 

Mother  Stewart,  with  her  keen,  flashing  eyes,  and 
her  glistening  white  hair,  was  always  a  striking  figure 
on  the  platform,  and  her  clear,  ringing  tones  reached 
the  remotest  person  in  her  immense  audiences.  She 

*  Knowing  that  there  were  few  persons  who  knew  Mother  Stewart 
better  than  the  proprietor  of  the  Springfield  Republic,  we  suggested  to 
him  the  propriety  of  his  giving  us  a  little  sketch  of  her.  He  cordially 
responded  with  this  striking  and  worthy  tribute.— PUBLISHERS. 

XL 


XII.  SKETCH  OF  MOTHER  STEWART. 

had  the  capacity  to  so  put  the  enormity  of  the  liquor 
traffic  and  the  harm  and  suffering  it  causes,  before 
audiences  as  to  fire  the  hearts  of  the  people.  The 
writer  had  the  honor  to  call  Mother  Stewart  a 
"  Wendell  Phillips  in  Petticoats,"  and  the  phrase 
followed  her  around  the  world,  for  Mother  Stewart 
was  called  from  America  to  Europe,  and  aroused 
public  sentiment  in  various  parts  of  England,  Scot- 
land and  Ireland.  While  on  a  tour  in  Europe — 
which  I  made  afterwards — I  found  her  well  spoken 
of  by  leading  philanthropists  and  reformers,  as  a 
worn  in  who  had  increased  popular  sentiment  in 
behalf  of  the  great  cause  of  total  abstinence.  For 
whatever  partisan  political  sentiments  my  honored 
friend  utters,  she  alone  is  responsible.  I  did  my 
best  to  keep  her  in  the  Republican  ranks ! 

Mother  Stewart  is  a  Western  woman,  of  Revolu- 
tionary stock.  Colonel  Guthery,  one  of  the  old 
Revolutionary  heroes,  and  among  the  earliest  settlers 
of  the  Northwest  Territory,  and  founder  of  Piketon, 
Ohio,  was  her  grandfather.  She  was  early  left  an 
orphan  and  is  emphatically  a  self-made  woman  as  the 
term  goes,  but  more  truthfully,  as  I  have  intimated  in 
the  foregoing,  a  woman  endowed  for  a  special  work. 
In  the  very  adverse  circumstances  of  those  early  days, 
she  acquired  a  good  education,  and  a  good  part  of  it 
was  acquired  at  home  by  the  blazing  wood  fire,  en- 
livened by  frequent  application  of  the  "  shell  bark  " 
or  "pine  knot,"  and  as  advantages  improved,  by  the 
"  tallow  dip."  She  acquired  quite  a  reputation  as 
one  of  the  first  educators  of  early  times.  It  was  said 
to  be  enough  for  her  students  applying  for  a  county 
certificate,  to  bring  an  indorsement  from  Mrs.  Stewart, 
to  secure  success.  From  her  maternal  ancestry  she 
inherited  her  fearlessness  and  hatred  of  wrong,  and 
from  her  father,  who  was  a  Southern  gentleman, 
in  the  sense  used  sixty  and  seventy  years  ago,  she 
inherited  her  high  sense  of  honor.  From  both  parents 
she  obtained  a  mixture  of  Scotch-Irish  that  gives  her 
the  sturdy  traits  of  the  one  and  the  humor  of  the 
other. 

CLIFTON  M.  NICHOLS. 

Springfield,  O.t  April  20,  1888, 


AS  to  me  a  very  pleasant  coincidence  that, 
on  my  sixty-fifth  birthday,  April  25th,  1881, 
I  received  a  very  kind  note  from  Mr.  C.  M. 
Nichols,  editor  of  the  Springfield  (O.)  Republic,  say- 
ing that  in  the  issue  of  that  day  he  would  ask  me 
editorially,  in  behalf  of  the  public,  to  write  my 
biography,  mentioning  my  work  during  the  war,  the 
Crusade,  and  my  work  in  Great  Britain.  In  his 
editorial  he  said  : 

11  In  behalf  of  our  citizens  we  hereby  ask  our  dis- 
tinguished townswoman,  Mother  Stewart,  that  she 
give  to  the  public  her  autobiography,  with  a  full 
history  of  her  career  during  the  war ;  of  the  birth, 
progress  and  culmination  of  the  Crusade,  with  an 
accurate  and  detailed  account  of  the  part  she  took 
in  it ;  and  a  detailed  history  of  her  reception  and 
work  in  England,  Scotland  and  Ireland,  and  of  her 
work  after  her  return  to  this  country. 

"  Mrs.  Stewart  should  undertake  this  work  now, 
while  she  is  in  full  possession  of  all  her  faculties,  and 
is  able  to  do  the  matter  full  justice. 

"  It  should  be  made  into  a  book  of  good  size, 
should  be  illustrated  and  then  sold  by  subscription. 

"We  have  no  doubt  a  list  of  people  who  would 
want  the  book  could  be  made  up  in  a  short  time, 
in  this  city  and  in  the  State,  sufficiently  large  to 
justify  its  publication.  The  work  could  be  written, 
illustrated,  printed,  bound  and  put  on  the  market  in 
this  city,  and  go  forth  as  a  Springfield  book. 

"  Mrs.  Stewart  has  done  good  service  in  the  Total 
Abstinence  cause  on  both  continents,  and  a  record  of 
her  work  should  be  made  up  and  preserved," 

XIII, 


XIV.  PREFACE. 

I  felt  very  grateful  to  Mr.  Nichols  and  the  citizens 
on  whose  behalf  he  made  the  request,  and  fully  in- 
tended to  respond  by  preparing  such  an  account  as 
he  indicated.  I  felt  especially  flattered  at  the  sug- 
gestion that  it  be  made  a  "  Springfield  book."  Noth- 
ing could  have  given  me  greater  pleasure.  It  was 
with  this  thought,  when  I  did  begin  the  work,  that  I 
gave  more  space  and  a  more  minute  account  of  the 
temperance  work  in  my  own  city  than  I  otherwise 
might  have  done;  and  more  tfran  may  seem  necessary 
or  just  to  the  general  reader. 

But  besides  this,  we  of  Springfield  do  claim  priority 
in  the  great  woman's  temperance  uprising,  though 
not  originally  in  the  form  recommended  by  Dio 
Lewis.  Our  work  had  opened  with  sufficient  sensa- 
tion and  enthusiasm  to  attract  the  public  attention 
and  that  of  the  press  over  the  country;  and  Dio 
Lewis,  always  eager  for  an  opening  to  present  his 
theory  of  dealing  with  the  saloon,  said,  when  on  his 
way  to  Ohio,  that  he  was  going  to  learn  what  we  of 
Springfield  were  doing. 

Some  two  years  later,  Prof.  D.  W.  DeLay,  now  of 
Kansas,  made  a  similar  request,  backed  by  many 
others,  as*  he  said,  very  generously  offering  to  take 
charge  of  the  publishing,  and  relieve  me  of  any  care 
or  solicitude  in  the  matter. 

There  has  also  been  a  general  wish  expressed  by 
the  temperance  friends  that  I  would  write  the  story 
of  the  Crusade,  knowing  my  position  in  it  would 
enable  me  to  give  it  from  personal  observation  and 
participation. 

But  the  calls  for  help  in  the  field  continued  to 
come,  and  the  need  seemed  so  great  that  I  could  not 
see  my  way  clearly  as  yet  to  entirely  abandon  the 


PREFACE.  XV. 

field.  The  time  came,  however,  that  failing  strength 
admonished  me  that  my  day  for  active  work  was 
well-nigh  past;  and  then  I  discovered,  too,  that  I 
had  made  a  mistake  in  not  heeding  Mr.  Nichols'  sug- 
gestion to  undertake  and  prosecute  the  work  while 
in  full  possession  of  all  my  faculties.  The  overstrain 
of  years  of  hard  work  had  been  a  severe  tax  on  the 
nerves,  and  the  mind  was  growing  weary.  The  task 
has  consequently  been  one  of  a  good  deal  of  labor; 
and  the  result  comes  far  short  of  the  standard  in  liter- 
ary merit  that  I  could  wish,  and  that  I  am  vain  enough 
to  believe  I  could  have  more  nearly  attained,  if  I  had 
not  delayed  so  long.  The  delay  also  so  changed  the 
circumstances  as  to  make  it  impossible  to  carry  out 
the  original  plan  of  publication. 

Then,  when  I  entered  upon  my  experience  in  the 
Crusade,  spite  of  my  effort  to  keep  it  in  reasonable 
limits,  omitting  so  much  that  I  desired  to  give  (the 
fact  is,  of  that  wonderful  story  u  the  half  can  never 
be  told  "),  I  was  obliged  to  leave  all  other  matter  for 
a  future  day.  If  this  volume,  which  I  submit  to  my 
friends  with  a  great  deal  of  modesty,  shall  find  favor 
in  their  eyes,  I  shall  feel  encouraged  to  follow  it  with 
4 'The  Crusader  in  Great  Britain." 


CHAPTER    1. 


First  Steps  in  t/ie  Temperance  Work. 

4r 

CANNOT  remember  when  I  was  not  an 
abstainer.  Having  in  my  young  girlhood 
made  a  profession  of  religion,  and  united 
with  a  church  that  by  its  Discipline  forbade  the 
use  of  all  intoxicants,  and  living  in  a  community 
where  the  use  was  a  rare  exception,  I  had  neither 
inclination  nor  temptation  for  their  use.  In  my 
own  home  we  have  never  used  or  kept  them,  ex- 
cept in  the  camphor  bottle,  and  when  this  was  to 
be  filled,  my  husband  would  take  the  bottle  to  the 
druggist  and  have  the  gum  put  in  with  the  alco- 
hol, to  avoid  the  appearance  of  evil  in  carrying 
a  bottle  of  unmedicated  liquor  home. 

We  have  long  since  learned  that  even  the  bottle 
of  camphor  is  not  an  absolute  necessity  in  a  well 
regulated  household,  or  at  least  that  it  is  called 
into  requisition  scarcely  once  in  a  twelve-month. 
But,  in  whatever  direction  my  mind  and  heart 
were  turned  in  Christian  work,  I  found  the  liquor 
question  continually  thrusting  itself  forward  as  a 
serious  and  continual  hindrance  in  all  Christian 
effort.  The  results  of  the  traffic  were  everywhere 
apparent  and  the  evil  was  rapidly  growing. 


OF  THE  CRUSADE. 

:  ^  ^Ifr'ouf  pleasant  little  town,  nestled  down  in  a 
curve  of  the  Hocking  river,  and  surrounded  by 
a  low  range  of  hills,  was  located  the  Ohio  State 
University,  the  oldest  of  our  many  educational 
institutions  in  the  State.  It  had,  in  bygone 
years,  had  a  fine  patronage,  and  had  sent  forth 
many  a  young  Samson  and  David  to  valiant 
service  in  the  world's  great  battle-fields,  and  we 
were  still  proclaiming  the  merits  and  advantages 
of  the  O.  U.,  inviting  parents  to  bring  their  sons 
to  our  University.  "  Place  healthful."  ' 'Com- 
munity intelligent,  moral,  temperate."  " Moral 
and  spiritual  welfare  of  your  sons  jealously  guard- 
ed," etc.,  etc. 

And  the  good,  confiding  parents  did  send  their 
sons,  not  a  few  of  them,  and  we  manufactured 
them  into  drunkards ;  or  what  was  equivalent,  we 
tolerated  the  liquor  saloon  among  us,  which  did 
the  work  in  a  more  finished  style  than  we  would 
have  been  likely  to,  and  sent  them  back  to  the 
parents  with  the  blighting  appetite  fastened  upon 
them,  entailing  a  lifelong  battle,  or  an  early  con- 
quest of  the  remorseless  foe. 

Why,  I  wonder,  in  the  name  of  common 
sense,  do  not  college  and  university  towns  see  to 
it  that  liquor  is  kept  out  of  their  limits  for  self- 
ish interest,  if  for  no  more  exalted  reason  ?  Such 
towns  generally  receive  their  main  support  from 
the  institution  of  learning.  Why  cannot  the 
people  see  that  whatever  contributes  to  the  pros- 
perity of  the  college,  bringing  students,  must 
,  result  in  their  own  advantage,  and  that  nothing 


MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE.  19 

can  so  commend  an  educational  place  to  parents 
as  a  sober,  temperate  community,  a  Prohibition 
town?  Is  it  not  liquor  blindness  that  afflicts  the 
people  ? 

It  was  not  supposed  to  be  the  duty  of  the 
Faculty,  nor  of  the  Trustees,  nor  the  mer- 
chant, nor  the  doctor,  certainly  not'  the  law- 
yer, nor  even  the  minister,  to  raise  a  voice  or  to 
interfere  with  the  liquor  seller ;  it  might  create 
enemies  and  injure  popularity. 

We  did,  indeed,  make  some  little  show  occa- 
sionally of  stirring  up  the  question,  by  way, 
possibly,  of  quieting  a  too  vigilant  conscience. 

I  remember  one  such  occasion,  when  some  of 
the  more  thoughtful  citizens  called  a  meeting  and 
discussed  the  subject  in  somewhat  serious,  if  not 
practical  fashion.  But  to  the  close  observer  it 
was  noticeable  (and  an  assurance  that  no  prac- 
tical results  could  follow)  that  certain  gentlemen 
made  themselves  very  prominent,  showing  with 
much  legal  lore  what  was  and  what  was  not  law, 
advising  "moderation,"  "  not  too  hasty,"  "not 
too  rash,"  and  when  a  resolution  was  offered 
looking  like  business,  they  always  managed  to 
negative  or  table  it 

At  length,  however,  a  very  nice  petition  was 
drawn  up  and  circulated  for  signatures,  addressed 
to  the  gentlemanly  and  considerate  saloon-keep- 
ers, setting  forth  that  the  public  sentiment  was 
not  in  favor  of  their  business,  and  would  they  not 
be  so  obliging  as  to  give  it  up? 

But  upon  its  being  presented  to  one  of  these 


20  MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE, 

gentlemen,  he  ran  his  eye  carefully  down  the  col- 
umn of  names,  then  remarked  in  a  rather  puzzled 
manner,  "  Well,  yes,  but  how  is  this?  many  of 
these  names  are  among  my  best  customers." 
Another  coolly  replied,  as  he  set  his  hat  back  at 
an  independent  angle,  "  You  talk  about  public 
sentiment.  I  tell  you  I  have  public  sentiment 
on  my  side.  It  is  the  almighty  dollar  that  wins, 
and  I  am  going  to  have  it." 

Poor  fellow !  he  thought  he  was  on  the  winning 
side,  but  he  did  not  win  the  almighty  dollar, 
though  he  did  make  drunkards  of  his  boys,  one 
of  whom  was  miserably  crushed  on  the  railroad, 
while  in  his  pocket  was  the  bottle  which  he  had 
learned  to  love  in  his  father's  saloon. 

But  nothing  came  of  our  little  temperance 
spasm ;  the  business  went  on  and  flourished, 
doing  its  part  of  the  preparation  of  our  own  young 
men,  as  well  as  those  of  the  University,  for  their 
final  ruin.  Somewhere  about  1858,  I  think,  we 
organized  a  Good  Templar's  Lodge,  which,  how- 
ever, did  not  continue  long.  And  it  was  about 
this  time  that  I  gave  my  first  temperance  lecture 
to  a  Band  of  Hope,  in  Pomeroy.  I  had  forgot- 
ten it  till  reminded  of  it  some  time  since,  by  the 
Superintendent,  Rev.  S.  Stivers. 

Then  the  dark  pall  of  war  overspread  our  land, 
and  our  brave  men  from  hills  and  valleys,  from 
city  and  hamlet,  hastened  to  respond  to  their 
country's  call.  Everywhere  recruits  were  coming 
in  and  being  sent  to  the  front,  or  to  the  drill  camp, 
and  everywhere  was  the  soul  destroying  drink, 


MEMORIES  OF  THE   CRUSADE.  21 

and  the  more  heartless  foe  than  those  they  were 
hastening  to  meet  on  southern  fields,  ready  to 
deal  it  out,  for  the  sake  of  getting  the  soldier's 
meagre  pittance.  Often  the  stars  and  stripes 
floated  high  over  the  man-traps,  ostensibly  to 
proclaim  the  keepers'  patriotism,  but  in  reality  to 
adverlise  their  business. 

In  our  town  the  commander,  seeing  the  conse- 
quences of  the  too  liberal  patronage  of  these 
dens  by  his  men,  ordered  a  search  and  confisca- 
tion of  any  liquors  found.  The  captain  led  his 
men  through  the  town  to  a  nest  of  Irish  shanties 
on  the  outskirts,  where  they  discovered  an  old 
woman  with  a  little  belivered  liquor  with  a  due 
admixture  of  burnt  sugar,  dead  mice,  etc.,  and 
poured  it  out.  Of  course  the  morals  of  the 
soldiers  and  the  peace  of  the  community 
demanded  it. 

But  returning  and  following  up  orders,  they 
were  much  gratified  to  report  that  upon  diligent 
search  they  found  not  a  drop  of  intoxicating 
liquors  in  these  patriotic  places.  The  business, 
always  true  to  its  precedents  and  traditions,  by 
some  means  known  to  the  trade,  finding  favor  and 
immunity  according  to  demand. 

Our  brave  boys  marched  away  to  fight  the 
battles  of  their  country,  and  many  laid  down 
their  lives  for  the  old  flag  on  southern  gory  fields 
or  in  prison  pen.  And  so  these  vigilant  dealers 
had  to  turn  again  to  citizens  and  college  boys  for 
patronage,  and  the  destruction  went  on.  Not 
only  were  reports  of  frequent  excesses  among 


22  MEMORIES   OF  THE    CRUSADE. 

the  students  rife,  but  of  church  members,  and 
even  officials  as  well,  bringing  reproach  upon  the 
cause  of  religion  by  their  intemperate  indulgence. 

I  had  by  agitation,  with  voice  and  pen,  tried  to 
call  the  public  attention  to  the  subject,  till  it  had 
come  to  be  understood  that  Mrs.  S.  was  a  very 
proper  person  to  look  after  this  department  of 
the  public  welfare.  I  remember  on  one  occasion, 
being  at  tea  at  Prof.  A.  's  with  Prof.  B.  and  others. 
The  subject  of  the  growing  evil  was  being  dis- 
cussed, all  declaring  something  ought  to  be  done; 
the  reputation  of  the  University  and  the  town  was 
suffering.  At  length  I  said  I  would  go  home  and 
draw  up  a  paper  for  them  to  sign  as  Professors 
of  the  University.  "All  right,"  said  Prof.  B. 
' '  I  will  sign  any  paper  you  will  prepare,  but  get 
Pres.  H.'s  name  first."  Prof.  A.  said,  "Yes,  I 
will  sign  any  paper  you  may  write,  but  get  Dr. 
P.'s  name  (the  Presbyterian  minister)  first,"  We 
will  be  very  brave  for  the  right  if  only  some  one 
else  will  take  the  responsibility  and  draw  the  fire. 
I  have  had  a  long  experience  with  this  kind  of 
bravery,  and  I  really  believe  I  have  been  very 
patient  with  it. 

I  hastened  to  draw  up  my  paper  for  the  profes- 
sors and  ministers  to  sign,  the  purport  of  which 
was,  that  the  increase  of  intemperance  in  the 
place  demanded  more  earnest  and  fearless  denun- 
ciation of  the  evil  and  warning  against  it  from 
pulpit,  platform  and  professor's  chair,  and  that- 
they  would  henceforth  preach  more  fearlessly 
and  pointedly  on  the  subject.  I  took  my  paper 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  23 

and  sought  Pres.  H.,  but  he  was  out  of  town. 
I  may  say  here,  that  when  I  did  see  him,  he 
seemed  really  very  glad  that  I  had  taken  the 
matter  in  hand.  "It  is  absolutely  necessary 
that  something  should  be  done  ;  hope  you  will 
be  able  to  accomplish  something;  you  are  the  one 
to  do  it.  But  situated  as  I  am,  of  course  it 
would  not  do  for  me  to  take  any  extreme  step." 
No  power  on  earth  or  above  the  bottomless  pit 
has  such  influence  to  terrorize  and  make  cowards 
of  men  as  the  liquor  power.  Satan  could  not 
have  fallen  on  a  more  potent  instrument  with 
which  to  thrall  the  world.  Alcohol  is  king ! 

I  must,  I  suppose,  have  been  all  these  years 
in  my  legitimate  line  of  duty,  for  it  has  been  the 
decision  uniformly,  when  a  disagreeable  thing 
was  to  be  done,  a  risk  to  be  taken,  or  sacrifice 
to  be  made,  ' '  Oh,  you  are  the  very  one  for  the 
place,"  and  if  at  any  time  I  should  drop  a  word 
about  enemies,  abuse,  slander,  misrepresenta- 
tions, "  Oh,"  the  answer  was,  "you  don't  mind, " 
"that  don't  hurt  you,"  "you  don't  care  for  such 
things. "  Ah,  the  Lord  and  I  have  had  many  an 
awful  time  together  over  just  this.  But  we  will 
come  to  that  subject  further  on. 

Failing  to  find  Pres.  H.  I  hurried  away  to  the 
Presbyterian  minister,  but  oh,  how  I  was  startled 
at  my  presumption  and  realized  my  insignificance 
as  I  entered  his  presence.  Why,  I  was  nothing 
but  a  woman,  and  I  had  had  the  temerity  to  ap- 
proach a  minister  with  the  seeming,  at  least,  of 
dictating  his  duty  to  him,  and  as  he  scanned  my 


24  MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE. 

paper,  I  could  see  that  something  of  the  same 
thought  was  in  his  own  mind.  I  hastened  to 
explain  that  I  knew,  of  course,  that  he  preached 
against  intemperance  as  against  all  other  sins,  but 
it  really  seemed  that  the  evil  was  increasing  so 
fearfully  that  it  was  coming  'to  demand  more 
special  attention.  "  Well,  yes,  he  did  certainly 
preach  against  all  sin.  He  would  keep  my  paper, 
and  confer  with  BrotherF.,"  the  Methodist  minis- 
ter. That  was  fully  as  much  as  I  had  hoped  for. 
That  evening  he  called  to  return  my  paper  and 
say  he  had  not  been  able  to  see  Brother  F.  But 
while  he  was  in,  Mr.  F.  came  to  the  door  and  I 
invited  him  in,  and  till  nine  o'clock  I  labored 
with  those  good  ministers,  to  induce  them  to  say 
they  would  preach  special  sermons,  or  in  some 
special  manner  handle  the  subject  in  their  pulpits, 
I  gave  them  case  after  case  of  church  members 
who  had  been  charged  with  drinking  and  who 
were  bringing  reproach  on  the  cause  of  Christ. 
One,  even,  had  been  made  a  member  of  the  offi- 
cial board  of  the  church  while  on  a  regular  spree. 
"Oh,  they  could  not  believe  it;  of  course  I  had 
heard  it,  but  then  we  could  not  believe  all  we 
heard."  At  length  the  Methodist  minister  sug- 
gested that  they  each  preach  a  temperance  ser- 
mon the  next  Sabbath,  but  the  other  could  not 
see  the  necessity  ;  he  had  no  one,  he  said,  in  his 
congregation  that  he  knew  needed  preaching  to 
on  the  subject.  Oh,  I  thought,  what  a  confes- 
sion for  a  minister  to  make !  He  would  have 
known  if  his  mind  had  been  turned  in  that  direc- 


MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADK.  2$ 

tion,  and  certainly  there  were  enough  in  the 
town  that  needed  admonishing.  It  was  not  long 
till  my  good  brethren  discovered  that  it  was  not 
alia  piece  of  excited  imagination  on  my  part,  and 
that  even  while  we  talked  the  deadly  curse  was 
doing  its  work.  Shall  not  the  minister  "watch 
as  they  that  must  give  account "  ? 

Some  time  after  this,  there  was  a  District 
Meeting  of  the  ministers  of  the  Methodist  Church 
in  our  town.  Now,  I  thought,  this  would  be  a 
good  time  to  bring  the  subject  before  this  body 
of  Reverends  ;  but  how  ?  I  was  not  a  minister, 
not  even  a  layman,  but  it  ought  to  be  done. 

After  serious  reflection,  I  wrote  a  very  harm- 
less looking  resolution,  so  I  thought,  carried  it 
to  the  meeting,  and,  taking  my  seat  behind  one 
of  the  brethren  who  looked  as  though  he  might 
be  relied  on,  (do  not  know  who  he  was),  dropped 
my  resolution  into  his  hat.  He  noticed  my  move- 
ment, and  picking  it  up,  read  it  and  nodded 
approval.  As  I  recollect,  it  amounted  to  about 
this: 

1 '  Resolved,  That  in  view  of  the  fact  that  intem- 
perance is  greatly  on  the  increase  among  us,  we 
will  preach  more  frequently  and  pointedly  than 
we  have  ever  done  before,  and  that  we  will  handle 
the  subject  with  ungloved  hands." 

When  opportunity  offered,  my  friend  read  his 
resolution,  very  kindly  concealing  the  fact  that 
it  emanated  from  a  woman.  It  elicited  a  lively 
discussion.  Brother  B., known  and  noted  for  his 
staunch  principles  then  and  ever  since,  rolled 


26  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

back  his  sleeves  and  fought  bravely  for  the  reso- 
lution. He  sought  to  point  out  to  the  brethren 
what  fearful  strides  the  evil  was  making,  and  how 
it  was,  everywhere,  a  snare  to  souls  and  a  great 
hindrance  to  the  success  of  their  work  of  soul- 
saving. 

Rev.  S. ,  the  chairman,  could  not  endorse  that 
resolution,  or  give  his  sanction  to  anything  of 
the  kind  ;  he  was  a  ' '  conservative  man. "  ' '  The 
language  of  that  resolution  was  too  strong.  '* 
"  Handle  with  ungloved  hands,"  savored  of  mob 
law,  which  he  could  not  give  countenance  to. 
(I  noticed  a  report  recently  of  a  Temperance 
convention  where  this  same  Rev.  brother  spoke, 
and  was  still  on  the  conservative  list.  He  "  did 
not  think  he  had  ever  been  quite  as  radical  as 
many  others."  I  did  not  think  he  had  either.) 

But  the  brethren  disposed  of  my  little  fire- 
brand, by  resolving  that  they  would  each  preach 
one  sermon  to  each  of  his  several  charges,  in  the 
year,  on  the  Temperance  question. 

This  was  during  the  war,  a  quarter  of  a  century 
ago,  and  in  comparison  with  what  has  been  done 
in  these  later  years,  looks  so  insignificant  that  it 
would  almost  seem  that  an  apology  was  due  the 
reader  for  taking  so  much  of  his  time  ;  ' '  little 
drops  of  water,"  as  compared  to  the  great  down- 
pouring  torrents  that  have  since  flooded  our  land. 

But  no  one  can  understand  after  these  years 
of  effective  labor,  and  when  it  has  become  the 
popular  thing  for  woman  to  do,  what  even  these 
timid  efforts  to  awaken  ministers  and  people  cost 
a  woman. 


CHAPTER   II. 


War  Closed  —  Disastrous  Effects  of  the  Drink  upon 
Soldiers. 


AR  —  terrible  war  —  who  can  ever  recount 
the  long  list  of  evils  that  accompany  and 
follow  in  its  wake  ?  1  he  long  four  years' 
agony  was  past.  The  bloody  strife  was  ended, 
and  our  boys  came  home  —  those  of  them  who 
had  not  given  their  lives  and  shed  their  blood  to 
wash  the  black  stains  of  human  slavery  off  the 
pages  of  their  country's  history.  Not  the  least 
of  the  long  list  of  evils  accompanying  army  life 
is  that  of  intemperance,  and  many  of  our  soldiers 
returned  with  the  appetite,  acquired  in  the  army, 
fastened  upon  them.  And  so  the  curse,  more 
fearful  than  southern  slavery,  has  ever  since  been 
steadily  gaining  upon  us. 

The  great  influx  of  Europeans,  with  their  habits 
of  drink,  their  ignorance  of  what  "liberty" 
means,  their  disregard  for  the  laws  and  institu- 
tions of  the  land  in  which  they  have  found 
homes,  their  unscrupulous  eagerness  for  gain, 
their  shrewdness  in  manipulating  politicians, 
caucuses  and  elections,  intimidating  business 
men,  bribing  legislatures  and  courts  of  justice  — 
these  influences,  with  the  indifference  and  timid- 
ity —  may  I  say  cowardice  ?  —  of  Christians,  have 

27 


28  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

done  their  work,  and  to-day,  notwithstanding  all 
that  has  been  done,  we  are  in  the  hands  of  the 
enemy  and  at  his  mercy.  If  it  had  not  been  for 
the  labors  and  trumpet  voice  of  such  men  as 
Lyman  Beecher,  Father  Hunt,  Dr.  Jewett,  and  a 
few  others  along  the  line,  and  the  occasional 
waves  of  temperance  reform  that  have  from 
time  to  time  been  set  in  motion,  we  would  in- 
deed now  have  been  without  hope.  As  it  is, 
the  ship  is  well-nigh  stranded,  and  it  will  require 
a  mightier  struggle,  more  united  effort  than 
Christians  have  yet  dreamed  of,  to  bring  her 
safely  to  port. 

In  the  year  1870,  the  law  of  1854,  known  as 
the  Adair  law,  or  a  section  of  it,  was  so  amended 
as  to  give  the  wife  or  mother  of  the  drunkard  the 
right  to  bring  suit  in  her  own  name  against  the 
saloon-keeper  or  liquor-seller,  for  damages  for 
selling  to  husband  or  son.  In  Springfield, 
where  was  now  our  home,  having  moved  from 
Athens  here  in  1866,  we  had  our  seasons  of 
spasmodic  agitation  in  a  very  mild  form,  not 
calculated  to  hurt  anybody's  business  or  feel- 
ings. 

In  the  winter  of  1871,  a  few  meetings  were 
held  in  Black's  Opera  House,  with  large  attend- 
ance and  considerable  display  of  fireworks  over 
"  the  great  evil. "  But  it  was  deemed  advisable 
to  deal  very  cautiously  and  prudently  with  the 
rum-seller.  Moral  suasion  was  recommended, 
but  I  believe  no  one  was  named,  or  offered  to 
put  the  theory  into  practice. 


MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE.  2$ 

I  remember,  we  were  about  this  time  greatly 
terrorized  by  an  organized  gang  of  burglars,  who 
nightly  plied  their  business  with  little  moles- 
tation till  some  citizens  actually  sought 
homes  elsewhere  in  consequence.  A  reporter 
for  the  Cincinnati  Commercial,  reporting  our 
temperance  meetings  and  methods  recommended, 
announced  that  when  we  got  the  liquor  dealers 
all  moralsuaded  into  decent,  law-abiding  men,  we 
were  going  to  try  our  hands  on  the  burglars. 
But  the  burglars  received  the  first  attention, 
however.  They  were,  with  their  bold  fetes  of 
robbery,  making  things  so  lively  for  us  that  a 
detective  was  at  length  employed.  Some  were 
caught,  and  a  few  sent  to  the  penitentiary,  and 
the  burglar  business  was,  for  the  time  at  least, 
effectually  closed  out.  But  the  liquor  business 
remains  to  this  present.  Why  ? 

Anticipating  the  usual  winter's  spasm,  and 
concluding  I,  as  well  as  any  one,  might  put  the 
ball  in  motion,  I  prepared  a  lecture  which  I 
delivered  on  January  22,  1872,  in  Allen's  Hall, 
to  a  large  and  intelligent  audience.  As  far 
as  I  know,  this  was  the  first  lecture  on  the  sub- 
ject of  temperance  delivered  by  a  lady  in  our 
city.  Here  I  date  my  first  important  move- 
ment in  my  temperance  warfare,  though  I 
had,  as  opportunity  offered,  lectured  elsewhere 
on  the  subject.  It  may,  indeed,  because  of 
results  that  grew  out  of  it,  be  called  my  first  step 
in  the  Crusade.  And  I  find  it  necessary,  in  the 
interest  of  historic  truth,  to  give  a  large  share  of 


3O  MORIES  OF  THE   CRUSADE, 

credit  to  my  warm  friend  and  advisor  in  all  the 
years  of  my  labors  and  trials,  C.  M.  Nichols, 
Editor  of  the  Springfield  Republic,  as  the  origi- 
nator of  the  Crusade.  He  may,  very  probably, 
as  well  as  many  others,  be  quite  surprised  at  this 
statement,  but  it  is  one  of  the  small  things 
that  throughout  all  history  have  brought  about 
results  so  far  beyond  what,  at  the  time,  could  be 
foreseen  from  so  apparently  insignificant  a  cause. 
Mr.  Nichols  was  at  the  meeting  and  from  an  ex- 
tended report  in  the  Republic  of  the  next  day, 
January  23d,  I  copy  the  following : 

"The  Liquor  Traffic,  How  to  Fight  it.  Mrs. 
E.  D.  Stewart's  address  at  Allen's  Hall,  on 
Monday  evening,  Jan.  22nd.  The  Law  and  the 
Gospel.  Allen's  Hall  was  well  filled  Monday 
evening  on  the  occasion  of  an  address  on  the 
Liquor  Traffic  by  Mrs.  E.  D.  Stewart.  The 
speaker  gave  an  expression  of  her  feeling  of  un- 
fitness  for  so  important  a  task  as  that  assigned 
her,  and  then  proceeded  in  an  interesting  and 
able  address  to  show  that  she  was  fitted  in  an 
eminent  degree  for  the  performance  of  just  such 
a  work." 

I  had  on  the  day  before  put  on — not  my 
Sabbath  attire — and  while  others  were  going  to 
the  house  of  worship,  I  was  walking  the  streets 
to  ascertain  from  my  own  observation  the  status 
in  our  city  on  the  Sabbath,  while  Christians 
were  worshiping  in  the  sanctuary. 

I  am  glad,  in  turning  to  the  above  report,  to 
see  the  heading,  "The  Law  and  the  Gospel," 


MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE.  3! 

as  it  is  to  me  most  valuable  testimony  of  my 
attitude  and  views  of  the  methods  to  meet  the 
great  crime  of  the  age  from  the  first.  The  law 
for  the  sinner,  the  Gospel  for  the  penitent, 
whether  dealer  or  drunkard.  And  this  is  my  atti- 
tude to-day.  I  have,  however,  worked  hard 
many  times  in  directions  that  I  knew  were  not 
the  most  effective,  simply  because  people 
could  not  see  the  best  way,  and  I  felt  that  any 
work  was  better  than  nothing.  Agitation,  if  it 
only  saves  from  dead  inaction  and  indifference, 
for  still,  as  in  the  long  ago,  while  good  men  sleep, 
the  enemy  is  busy  sowing  tares.  He  never 
sleeps. 

At  the  close  of  my  address,  Mr.  Nichols  came 
to  me  and  suggested  that  I  ask  the  ladies  of  the 
audience  to  pledge  themselves  to  hunt  up  the 
drunkards'  wives  and  encourage  them  to  prose- 
cute the  rum-sellers  under  the  Adair  law,  for 
selling  to  their  husbands,  and  to  stand  by  them 
in  doing  so.  The  ladies  readily  responded  by 
a  rising  vote.  But,  while  I  knew  that  they  then 
meant  it,  I  felt  quite  sure  that  most  of  them  would 
falter  if  a  test  should  come.  It  was  years  ago, 
and  before  the  Crusade  and  custom  had  made  it 
comparatively  easy  to  do  such  work. 

Those  ladies  would  to-day  cheerfully  pledge 
themselves,  and  keep  their  pledge  too.  A 
wonderful  growth  has  occurred  through  the  edu- 
cation and  courage  received  in  the  Crusade,  as 
well  as  the  spiritual  baptism  that  came  down 
upon  the  women. 


32  MEMORIES  OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

Two  days  after  our  meeting,  I  called  at  the  Re- 
public office,  when  Mr.  Nichols  exclaimed  :  "Oh, 
see  here  !  a  case  under  the  Adair  law  is  being 
tried  right  now  in  Justice  Miller's  court.  Get 
some  of  your  ladies  and  go  in."  I  had  my  mis- 
givings about  getting  the  ladies,  but  did  not  say 
so.  I  knew  better  than  a  gentleman  could, 
what  the  effect  upon  woman's  mind  had  been 
of  the  all-time  teaching  that  they  must  not 
seem  to  know  anything  about  the  saloon  or 
men's  drinking,  it  was  not  lady-like. 

I  went  at  once  and  called  on  one  lady,  but  she 
was  "busy  and  could  not  go."  So  I  went  in 
alone  and  sat  till  the  court  adjourned  for  dinner. 
I  could  not  help  noticing  that  the  good  old  justice, 
who  was  a  Christian  man,  was  gratified  at  my 
presence,  as  was  also  the  prosecuting  attorney, 
my  young  friend,  G.  C.  Rawlins,  and  of  course 
the  defense  was  not. 

When  the  court  adjourned,  I  hastened  off  to 
the  eastern  part  of  the  city,  where  I  felt  quite 
sure  I  should  find  some  ladies  upon  whom  I 
could  rely.  But  "they  all,"  with  one  exception, 
' 'began  to  make  excuses."  The  exception  was 
Mrs.  S.  M.  Foos,  a  lady  whose  heart  always 
goes  out  to  the  sorrowing,  the  needy,  and  the 
friendless,  Where  a  friend  is  needed,  there  is 
she,  walking  in  the  footsteps  of  the  lowly  One. 
And  though  wealth,  brilliant  talents,  social  posi- 
tion, all  give  her  open  sesame  into  the  most 
fashionable  circles,  she  chooses  to  walk  in  the 
path  the  Master  hath  trod,  giving  her  life  to  good 


MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE.  33 

works  and  alms  deeds.  Yes,  she  would  come 
as  soon  as  she  could  dispose  of  some  home 
duties.  Upon  my  return  to  the  court  room,  the 
attorney  for  the  prosecution  asked  me  if  I  would 
not  make  the  opening  plea  to  the  jury.  I 
answered  that  I  could  not  think  of  such  a  thing. 
He  insisted  that  I  could  do  it.  I  protested  that 
the  thing  was  impossible.  But  he,  intent  upon 
winning  his  case,  this  being  the  first  and  a  test 
case  under  the  Adair  law  in  our  city,  was  dis- 
posed to  avail  himself  of  all  the  means  he  could 
bring  to  bear,  and  still  urged  me  to  it.  I  began 
to  think  right  fast,  and  asked  if  he  thought  I  could 
do  any  good  by  it,  adding  that  I  came  in  to 
give  encouragement  to  the  court,  himself  and 
that  poor  woman.  "  Yes, "  he  responded,  "I 
know  you  can."  Then,  I  said,  I  will  think  of  it. 
"  Very  well,"  he  replied,  "if  you  decide  to  doit, 
let  me  know,  and  I  will  show  you  the  law  to 
read  to  the  jury. "  Taking  my  paper  and  pencil, 
I  took  notes  of  the  testimony  as  the  case  pro- 
ceeded. And  I  do  know  the  Lord  helped 
me,  for  new  as  was  the  work,  and  strange  and 
novel  my  situation  and  surroundings,  and  weak 
the  testimony,  I  was  enabled  to  catch  the  strongest 
points  in  clear  and  concise  form.  No  one,  I 
am  sure,  could  be  more  surprised  at  this  than 
myself.  The  testimony  being  mainly  from  the 
habitues  of  the  saloons,  was  weak  and  unreliable. 
Some  of  them  deliberately  and  without  flinching 
perjured  themselves.  One  for  the  prosecution, 
the  justice  ordered  irom  the  stand. 

(3) 


34  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

The  strongest  witness,  with  one  exception, 
was  the  little  son  of  the  drunkard,  a  child  some 
ten  years  old,  having  been  permitted  by  the 
justice  to  be  sworn,  because  of  his  intelligence 
and  manly  bearing,  though  legally  under  age. 
The  court  room  was  crowded  with  saloon-keepers 
and  their  customers,  a  motley  crowd,  blear-eyed, 
bloated,  bruised,  dirty,  unsightly,  degraded 
humanity.  The  attorney  for  the  defense  was 
one  of  the  ablest  lawyers  of  the  bar,  always  the 
liquor  men's  advocate.  There  sat  that  pitiful, 
friendless  woman  and  her  two  little  boys,  in  their 
scant  and  faded  garments,  alone.  The  wretched 
husband  and  father  had  by  some  means  been 
spirited  away  out  of  reach. 

Towards  evening  I  went  to  Mr.  Rawlins  and 
asked  him  how  near  the  testimony  was  in.  "It  is 
almost  in,"  said  he;  "will  you  address  the  jury  ?" 
I  said  I  would  try.  He  then  handed  me  the  book, 
pointing  out  the  portion  to  be  read  to  the  jury. 
I  took  it  and  familiarized  myself  with  it.  By 
this  time  the  testimony  being  closed,  Mr.  Raw- 
lins addressed  the  court,  saying  he  wished  to 
make  a  few  remarks  and  also  a  request.  The 
request  was  that  Mrs.  Stewart  be  permitted  to 
make  the  opening  plea  to  the  jury. 

Of  course  the  court  had  no  right  to  object,  as 
I,  or  any  one  else  may,  in  our  State,  appear  in  a 
case  before  a  Justice's  or  Mayor's  court.  But 
none  but  admitted  lawyers  may  appear  before 
the  upper  courts.  Besides,  I  saw  that  the 
Justice  was  very  willing  that  I  should,  and  the 


MEMORIES   OF   THE    CRUSADE.  3$ 

opposite  counsel  had  to  acquiesce,  though  I  saw 
by  the  ill-concealed  smile,  while  he  mumbled 
something  that  I  could  not  quite  catch,  that  he 
was  saying  to  himself,  "  Now  we  will  have  fun. 
This  old  woman  will  make  a  muddle  of  it,  and  a 
fool  of  herself,  and  we  will  have  rare  fun  picking 
her  to  pieces." 

I  took  my  law  book  in  hand,  and  addressing 
the  jury,  said  I  found  myself  in  a  novel  position, 
but  I  made  this  attempt  to  plead  the  case  of  my 
sister,  because  I  knew  I  could  speak  for  her  as 
no  man  could.  I  then  read  the  law,  adding,  they 
needed  no  comment  on  it  from  me.  They  under- 
stood its  meaning.  I  was  glad  that  now  our 
women  might  come  into  the  courts  and  prosecute 
the  rum-seller  for  the  destruction  of  their  hus- 
bands and  homes.  I  was  glad,  too,  that  in 
my  State  were  men,  good  and  true,  before  whom 
these  cases  might  be  tried.  (I  may  say  here,  that 
while  this  was  the  nicest  sugar-plum  I  had,  it 
was  well  deserved  in  this  case,  for  they  were  all 
good  and  true  men.)  I  then  took  up  the  points 
of  testimony  I  had  caught  and  showed  that  the 
man,  when  not  under  the  influence  of  liquor, 
was  a  kind  husband  and  father,  providing  for 
the  necessities  of  his  family.  That  even  when 
occasionally  giving  way  to  his  appetite  it  had 
been  proven  that  he  was  able  to  earn  from  $6  to 
$9  per  week.  But  through  the  influence  of 
drink  furnished  by  the  man  now  arraigned,  he 
had  become  so  worthless  and  incompetent  that 
the  wife  and  mother,  besides  her  regular  domestic 


36  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

duties,  was  obliged  to  labor  to  earn  the  means 
of  support  for  her  family.  Yes,  it  was  said  the 
drunkard's  wife  may  come  into  court  and  prose- 
cute for  the  ruin  of  her  husband,  but  who  will 
stand  by  her?  Who  will  befriend  her  ?  Who 
will  defend  her  ?  And  you  see  the  array  against 
her.  I  simply  waved  my  hand  towards  that 
motley  mass  without  looking  towards  them,  but 
saw  that  the  jury  did.  I  proceeded  to  say,  this 
woman,  who  I  hoped  would  pardon  me,  was 
branded  as  the  drunkard's  wife,  and  must  wear 
the  brand  forever.  And  you  noticed  that  as  on 
the  witness  stand,  being  strung  up  to  the  utmost 
tension,  she  detailed  her  sufferings  and  wrongs, 
— a  sight  to  touch  and  melt  the  stoutest  heart  to 
pity — that  crowd  stood  there  leering  and  jeering 
in  satanic  mirth  at  her  misery.  And  these  little 
boys,  as  they  had  noticed,  precocious  and  intel- 
ligent beyond  their  years,  were  branded,  and 
would  carry  the  brand  to  the  grave, —  The 
Drunkards  Child.  In  closing  I  charged  the 
jury  that  they  deal  with  this  woman  as  they 
would  that  others  should  deal  with  their  wife  or 
daughter.  And  as  they  dealt  with  her,  might 
God  deal  with  them.  I  had  not  spoken  five 
minutes  till  I  saw  that  I  held  the  jury  in  my 
hand,  but  did  not  know  the  extent  of  the  mis- 
chief I  had  done  the  dealer  in  woe  till  his  attor- 
ney arose  to  defend  him.  If  he  had  prepared 
any  defense  for  his  client,  he  certainly  had  for- 
gotten it.  He  gesticulated  vehemently,  declared 
it  was  ' '  infamous  to  bring  a  female  in  to  influ- 


MF.MORIES    OF   THE    CRUSADE.  37 

ence  the  court  and  jury.  He  should  think  Mrs. 
Stewart  would  be  ashamed  to  thus  come  into 
court.  She  had  much  better  have  been  at  home 
attending  to  her  legitimate  duties." 

The  jury,  after  a  brief  retirement,  brought  in 
a  verdict  of  $100  and  costs.  This,  as  I  have 
said,  was  the  first  case  that  had  came  up  under 
the  Adair  law  in  our  courts,  and  considering  the 
desperate  fight  made  by  the  defense,  aided  by 
his  associates  in  the  business,  and  the  weakness 
of  the  testimony  for  reasons  already  stated,  it 
was  decided  to  be  a  very  fair  verdict.  Of  course 
the  liquor  vender  appealed  to  the  upper  courts, 
where  the  "  female  "  was  not  permitted  by  the 
law  of  the  State  to  go  into  the  courts  to  influence 
jury,  or  anyone  else.  But,  after  long  delay, 
and  staving  off,  and  the  liquor  men  boasting 
that  they  had  money  enough  to  fight  that  poor, 
friendless  woman  as  long  as  she  chose — the 
lower  court  was  sustained,  except  the  damage 
was  cut  down  to  $40,  if  I  remember  correctly. 
The  unheard-of  occurrence  of  a  woman  pleading 
a  case  in  court,  produced  quite  a  sensation.  The 
papers  sent  it  abroad,  far  and  near,  and  the 
lawyers  and  other  gentlemen  of  the  city  so 
chaffed  my  good  friend,  Esq.  Spence,  for  letting 
an  old  lady  beat  him,  that  he  became  quite  un- 
friendly towards  me.  And  I,  having  noticed 
that  while  he  was  speaking  to  some  point  of 
law  as  the  case  progressed,  the  foreman  laid  his 
head  back  and  slept,  could  not  resist  the  tempta- 
tion to  tell  him  that  I  could  keep  the  jury  awake 


38  MEMORIES    OF   THE    CRUSADE. 

and  he  could  not.  I  am  most  happy  to  record 
here,  however,  that  Mr.  Spence,  who  is  my  near 
neighbor,  is  to-day  one  of  the  very  warmest 
friends  I  have,  though  we  differ  widely  on 
the  temperance  question,  I  am  sorry  to  say. 
The  Springfield  Advertiser  of  the  next  day  gives 
the  following  report  of  the  case : 

" ARGUMENT  OF  MRS.  E.  D.  STEWART  TO  A  JURY  IN 

THE  WHISKY  CASE — MOTHER  STEWART  IN 

THE  ROLE  OF  A  LAWYER. 

"Geo.  C.  Rawlins,  Esq.,  brought  suit  against 
Barnet  Trickier  for  Mrs.  Mary  Hukins  before  Esquire 
Miller,  laying  damages  at  $300  for  the  sale  of  liquoi 
to  her  husband.  Mrs.  Stewart  was  present  and  heard 
the  evidence  in  the  case.  When  it  was  all  submitted 
and  the  case  was  closed  as  far  as  the  evidence  was 
concerned,  Mr.  Rawlins  addressed  the  court,  stating 
that  Mrs.  Stewart  had  been  present,  and  heard  all  the 
evidence,  and  he  requested  that  she  be  granted  per- 
mission to  address  the  jury  on  behalf  of  the  plaintiff. 
The  court  granted  the  request,  and  Mrs.  Stewart, 
taking  a  ponderous  volume  in  her  hand,proceeded  to 
address  the  jury.  The  argument  she  made  on  this 
occasion  was  one  worthy  of  her  sex  and  of  the  bar. 
She  was  placed  in  such  a  position  that  she  could  ap- 
preciate the  situation.  It  was  a  woman  speaking  in 
behalf  of  one  of  her  sex,  and  she  could  portray  to  the 
jury  the  circumstances  of  the  injustice,  cruelty  and 
hardships  which  Mrs.  Hukins  suffered  from  the  whisky- 
seller.  Mrs.  Stewart  spoke  for  a  half  an  hour,  and 
alluded  with  telling  effect  to  the  sneers  which  had 
greeted  the  poor  woman,  Mrs  Hukins,  when  on  the 
stand.  She  also  spoke  of  the  moneyed  interest  which 
backed  up  the  defense. 

"  George  Spence,  Esq.,  followed  Mrs.  Stewart,  and 
attributed  to  women  all  the  rights  which  they 
claimed,  but  stated  that  this  manifestation  was  for 
the  purpose  of  working  upon  the  prejudices  of  the 
jury. 

"  Mr.  Rawlins  closed  the  argument  in  the  case  and 


MEMORIES   OF   THE    CRUSADE.  39 

paid  a  high  compliment  to  the  speech  of  Mrs. 
Stewart.  The  jury  returned  a  verdict  of  $100  for  the 
plaintiff." 

The  notoriety  given  to  this  case  led  the  poor 
women  to  fancy  that  I  must  know  a  good  deal 
about  law,  or  that  I  was  at  least  a  friend  that 
could  sympathize  with  them,  and  so  they  came  to 
me  to  tell  their  sorrows  and  to  ask  counsel  or 
assistance. 

But  I  do  not  remember  any  case  of  special 
importance  until  October,  1873.  The  fore  part 
of  this  month  a  woman  came  to  me,  saying 
friends  had  sent  her  with  the  assurance  that  I 
would  do  something  for  her.  It  was  the  same 
old,  old  story  repeated — oh,  who  knoweth  how 
many  times! — of  wretchedness,  woe,  misery,  pri- 
vation, neglect,  want,  pinching  poverty,  and  dis- 
grace for  her  and  her  children,  and  this  last 
not  by  any  means  the  least  in  the  catalogue  of 
misery.  This  woman,  so  broken  in  spirit,  mind 
and  body,  by  what  she  had  passed  through, 
was  of  an  old,  respectable  Virginia  family,  and 
had  never  known  what  want  was  till  brought  to 
it  by  her  husband's  drinking.  Her  brother, 
since  deceased,  was  at  that  time  Chaplain  to  the 
upper  house  of  Congress,  a  Doctor  of  Divinity, 
and  had  been  editor  of  the  SoutJiern  Methodist. 
When  called  to  Baltimore  in  my  work  sometime 
afterwards,  I  made  his  acquaintance,  and  found 
him  a  Christian  gentleman.  But  the  sister  had 
unfortunately  married  a  man  who  soon  developed 
an  appetite  for  liquor.  He  had  drifted  from  one 


4O  MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

place  to  another  till  her  family  had  about  lost 
sight  of  her.  When  she  came  to  me,  she,  with 
her  three  very  bright  children,  was  living  in  a 
poor  tenement  in  one  of  the  poorest  quarters  in 
the  city.  Her  neighbors  and  only  associates  were 
the  lowest  class  of  foreigners,  and  like  herself, 
cursed  by  the  drink.  With  stifling  sobs  and  the 
tears  streaming  down  her  poor,  careworn  face,  she 
told  her  story.  While  my  heart  melted  for  her,  it 
seemed  to  me  to  be  a  hopeless  case.  I  said  to 
myself,  It  is  no  use,  I  must  send  this  woman 
away,  we  cannot  compete  with  the  liquor 
scourge.  But  the  next  thought  was,* 'No,  you 
dare  not  send  her  away,  she  will  haunt  you  in 
your  dying  hour.  Then  came  the  thought, ' '  only 
through  prayer."  And  I  decided  to  do  what  I 
could  to  help  her."  Here  I  received  my  full 
baptism  into  the  work  of  trying  to  * '  rescue  the 
perishing." 

Thenceforth  everything  else  was  given  up, 
and  in  the  years  that  have  come  and  gone  since, 
this  has  been  the  moving,  actuating  force  of  my 
life;  and  I  have  ever  since  felt  hurried  with 
the  great  overburdening  thought  that  they  are 
dropping  into  eternity  whether  we  are  waking 
or  sleeping.  And  when  I  have  been  speeding 
over  the  country  as  fast  as  wheels  and  steam 
could  carry  me,  or  across  hill  and  dale — often  in 
very  primitive  conveyance — in  sunshine  or  storm 
— addressing  thousands,  organizing  and  leading 
out  bands  of  my  crusade  sisters,  persuading  men 
to  sign  the  pledge  and  regain  their  lost  manhood, 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  4! 

urging  Christian  men  to  do  their  duty  and  wipe 
out  the  curse  at  the  ballot-box,  I  have  been 
supremely  happy.  This  I  say,  not  because  I 
have  not  loves  and  longings,  hopes  and  ambitions 
and  aspirations,  as  others  have. 

How  I  could  enjoy  the  sweets  of  home,  sweet 
home,  and  how  I  yearn,  and  grow  homesick, 
often,  as  I  go  up  and  down  the  land,  for  that 
dearest  spot  on  earth,  and  the  loved  who  are 
lonely  because  I  am  not  there !  How  I  could 
enjoy  the  pleasures  of  cultivated  society,  the 
esthetic  pleasures  that  wealth  can  buy !  I  can 
hardly  think  there  is  another  on  earth  that  could 
enjoy  with  such  exquisite  pleasure  the  delights 
of  reading,  the  acquaintance  of  the  great,  the 
learned,  the  good,  through  their  works.  How 
my  heart  hungers  for  the  gratification  of  my 
taste  in  art,  in  music,  in  communing  with  nature, 
the  grand  old  woods,  the  tiny  flowers,  the  song 
of  birds.  Elsewhere  I  have  told  of  the  limited 
opportunities  and  struggles  of  my  young  life. 
But  I  hoped  on  bravely  that  a  more  auspicious 
time  and  more  favorable  opportunities  would 
come.  But  the  burdens,  not  the  pleasures,  of 
this  life  seem  to  have  been  my  portion,  and  I 
am  content,  content !  Nay,  verily,  that  is  not  the 
word.  Oh,  the  blessedness  of  working  for  Jesus  ! 
There  is  another  feature  that  is  not  understood 
by  the  world.  It  is  assumed  that  one  stepping 
out  of  the  sphere  prescnoed  by  custom  must  be 
possessed  of  a  sort  of  obtuse  nature,  devoid  of 
and  not  understanding  the  softer,  gentler  traits 


42  MEMORIES  OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

of  character;  possessing,  instead,  a  coarse,  defiant 
nature  which  says,  '  'I  don't  care  what  people  say 
or  think." 

A  very  little  reflection  would  correct  this 
mistake,  and  save  many  a  tear  caused  by  the 
unjust  and  unfeeling  criticism  of  the  world.  In 
the  first  place,  the  obtuse,  the  indifferent  to  the 
good  or  bad  opinion  of  others,  are  also  selfish 
and  unfeeling,  and  hence  cannot  be  interested 
to  any  great  extent  in  the  weal  or  woe  of  human- 
ity, unless  through  some  personal  motive. 

How  often  have  I  heard  women  say,  "/have  no 
need  to  work  in  the  temperance  cause,  my  hus- 
band, my  sons,  are  safe  "  (and  not  infrequently, 
too,  when  the  world  knew  they  were  far  from  it). 
But  what  a  dwarfed,  starved  soul  that  Christian 
must  possess  who  cannot  see  any  reason  above 
self  for  stretching  out  the  hand  to  poor,  perish- 
ing humanity.  It  has  often  been  asked  of  me, 
*  '  What  has  caused  her  to  take  the  stand  she 
has?  What  is  it  that  so  impels  her  ?"  And  as 
the  world  demanded  a  reason  that  it  could  un- 
derstand, the  very  plausible  one,  many  would 
suppose,  has  been  manufactured  to  meet  the 
case  and  sent  out,  that  my  husband  was  at  some 
time  a  very  intemperate  man  and  had  abused 
me  terribly!  This  would  be  a  fearful  reason,  to 
be  sure.  But  I  am  happy  to  say  I  never  saw 
my  husband  take  a  drink  of  liquor  in  my  life, 
unless  it  might  have  been  cider  of  his  own  make, 
in  the  olden  times.  He  made  a  profession  of 
religion  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  and  united  with 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  43 

the  church,  and  has  the  reputation  of  living  a 
consistent  life.  The  fact  is,  my  Heavenly  Father 
gave  me  a  sympathetic  nature,  a  heart  easily 
affected  by  the  sufferings  even  of  the  lowliest  of 
the  brute  creation  ;  but  with  this,  a  keenly  sen- 
sitive nature  and  a  strong  love  of  approbation. 
You  can  faintly  conjecture  what  one  possessing 
such  traits  must  suffer  from  the  blind,  unjust  criti- 
cisms, the  sneers  and  slanders  of  the  world. 
Painfully  alive  to  everything  of  the  kind,  going 
upon  the  platform,  my  eyes  instantly  scan  my 
audience  and  I  take  in  almost  at  a  glance  the 
feeling  and  sentiment.  If  there  is  prejudice,  indif- 
ference, curiosity  or  sympathy  with  me  or  my 
subject,  I  see  or  feel  it  all, — the  whispered  com- 
ment, the  exchange  of  a  look.  Sometimes,  I 
may  say  not  often,  I  have  found  my  audiences 
so  lacking  in  sympathy  for  my  subject  that  I 
found  the  first  thing  to  be  done  was  to  break  the 
ice  that  enveloped  them,  a  more  exhausting 
task  than  two  or  three  ordinary  efforts.  But 
the  suffering, — I  wonder  if  it  can  be  possible  that 
any  other  has  suffered  as  I  have  ?  not  so  much 
from  the  liquor  vender,  for  I  had  reason  to  expect 
hard  things  from  him. 

Indeed,  with  a  few  rare  exceptions,  I  have  little 
to  complain  of  from  the  fraternity.  They  knew 
I  was  trying  to  do  their  business  all  the  harm  I 
could.  If  that  were  all,  looking  at  it  from  their 
standpoint,  what  wonder  that  they  would  say 
hard  things  of  me !  I  was  prepared  for  that.  But 
I  must  believe  that  most  of  them  do  understand 


44  MEMORIES   OF   THE    CRUSADE. 

that  I  mean  no  ill-will  to  them  outside  of  their 
business ;  and  some  of  them  have  so  given  me 
to  believe.  But  from  sources  unexpected,  un- 
locked for,  have  come  the  bitterest  trials  and  of 
consequence,  so  much  the  harder  to  bear.  Oh, 
how  I  cried  to  my  Father  to  give  me  the  confi- 
dence of  the  people.  I  felt  I  must  have  it  to  do 
the  work  He  had  put  into  my  hands.  But  when 
positive  falsehoods  were  circulated,  apparently 
for  no  other  purpose  than  to  break  me  down 
and  destroy  my  influence,  and  this  from  the 
least  expected  sources,  I  was  staggered,  almost 
blinded  with  pain.  It  was  all  so  inscrutable  to 
me.  Oh,  what  tears  I  shed  !  If  my  chamber  could 
testify,  what  nightly  hours  of  weeping  would  it 
reveal ! 

What  did  impel  me  ?  Simply,  I  heard  my 
Father  call  me  and  I  ran  gladly  to  do  his  bid- 
ding, and  I  am  so  glad ;  I  can  never  tell  how 
great  an  honor  I  feel  it  to  be,  that  He  hath 
counted  me  worthy.  Oh,  to  be  counted  among 
the  harvesters  in  the  field,  if  only  the  humblest 
gleaner !  Oh,  to  believe  I  shall  come  by  and  by, 
bringing  in  my  sheaves  ! 

What  are  worldly  pleasures,  esteem,  renown, 
the  pleasures  of  sense,  gratification  of  even  re- 
fined tastes,  compared  to  the  blessing  of  them 
that  are  ready  to  perish,  or  to  the  "well  done  " 
of  my  Father  in  the  presence  of  the  angels  when 
the  day's  work  is  done. 

But  I  have  left  my  poor  woman  waiting  much 
longer  than  I  did  that  day.  I  thought  very  fast, 


MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE.  4$ 

and  decided  that  if  I  acted  at  all  I  must  at  once 
and  hold  her  while  she  was  in  hand.  I  knew 
very  well  that  if  the  liquor-seller  got  intimation 
of  any  intention  to  interfere  with  his  little  pas- 
time of  ruining  men  and  starving  their  families, 
he  would  manage  by  bribe  or  threats  to  induce 
the  woman  to  change  her  mind.  Or,  if  her 
wretched  husband  should  find  out  that  there  was 
danger  of  his  supply  being  cut  off,  he  would  find 
means  to  put  a  stop  to  proceedings. 

Oh,  Christian  friends,  has  it  ever  dawned  upon 
your  minds  what  horror  it  must  be  for  a  poor, 
helpless  woman  to  find  herself  in  the  power  and 
at  the  mercy  of  a  creature  who  has  drowned  out 
all  his  manhood,  all  the  loving,  tender,  husbandly 
feeling,  and,  possessed  only  with  a  raging  thirst 
for  drink,  becoming  a  very  demon  at  the  bare 
thought  of  his  indulgence  being  interfered 
with  ?  I  told  her  I  would  take  her  to  a  law  firm 
and  see  what  we  could  do ;  and  throwing  on 
my  wraps,  took  her  to  the  office  of  Mower  & 
Rawlins,  the  junior  partner  being  my  young 
friend  who  had  prosecuted  the  other  case.  I 
stated  her  case  to  them,  and  asked  if  they  would 
undertake  it  for  her,  on  contingency  of  a  fee  if 
they  gained  it,  as  the  woman  had  not  a  dime  with 
which  to  buy  a  loaf  of  bread  for  her  children.  Mr. 
Rawlins  answered  at  once  that  he  would  take  the 
case  if  I  would  join  him  in  it.  I  said  yes,  I 
would  do  anything  in  my  power  to  help  her. 
We  arranged  to  take  the  case  before  the  Mayor's 
court,  and  set  the  time  for  the  next  Thursday, 


46  MEMORIES    OF   THE    CRUSADE. 

October  16.  Now  came  to  me  the  incipient 
ideas  of  dealing  with  the  liquor  question  that 
were  soon  to  be  developed  so  wonderfully  in  the 
Crusade.  Only  through  prayer,  I  said.  But  the 
Christian  women  must  be  awakened  and  brought 
to  feel  that  they  have  an  interest  in  the  question, 
and  something  to  do.  I  sent  notes  to,  and  in- 
vited ladies  of  known  piety  and  respectability,  of 
the  various  churches,  to  come  to  the  court  room 
on  Thursday,  as  a  liquor  case  was  to  be  tried  at 
that  time. 

My  friend,  Mr.  Nichols,  had  told  me  when  I 
should  have  another  liquor  case,  to  let  him 
know,  and  he  would  have  a  reporter  on  hand.  I 
informed  him  that  we  had  another  case  on  hand 
and  he  said  he  would  send  in  a  reporter. 

I  sent  word  to  nearly  all  the  ministers  of  the 
city  that  we  were  going  to  prosecute  a  liquor- 
seller  for  a  poor  woman,  "  would  they  come?" 
"  Oh  yes,  certainly."  I  remember  I  sat  in  my 
own  church  the  Sabbath  before  the  trial  and 
heard  Bishop  Wiley  make  such  an  appeal  as  he, 
of  all  men,  was  able  to  make,  for  the  Memphis 
sufferers  from  yellow  fever.  But  my  heart  was 
with  my  poor  client,  and  the  thousands  such  as 
she,  who  were  suffering  terrors  from  the  liquor 
scourge — compared  to  which  that  of  the  yellow 
fever  was  scarcely  to  be  named.  At  the  close 
of  the  service  I  went  to  my  minister  and  asked 
him  if  he  ever  went  into  the  court  room.  He 
looked  quite  puzzled,  but  after  catching  his 
breath  a  little,  he  answered  that  he  never  had, 


[EMORIES    OF   THE   CRUSADE.  47 

but  if  it  were  necessary  he  could  go.  I  said 
while  the  Bishop  was  making  that  grandly  elo- 
quent appeal,  I,  too,  had  a  great  burden  on  my 
heart,  and  added  that  we  were  going  to  have  a 
prosecution  before  the  Mayor's  court,  for  a 
drunkard's  wife,  "would  he  come?"  Yes,  he 

would.     I  said,  bring  Sister and  come,  but 

as  I  looked  into  his  face,  I  saw  he  was  saying, 
"  No,  I  wont. "  He  had  just  married  a  new  wife, 
and  of  course  a  court  room  was  no  place  for  his 
wife.  Something  also  prevented  his  attendance. 
But  my  good  brother  became  a  very  enthusi- 
astic helper  ere  long.  Before  the  case  came  on 
I  sat  down  and  wrote  the  following  appeal. 
Here  again  I  know  the  Lord  helped  me.  I  carried 
it  to  Mr.  Nichols,  telling  him  here  was  a  paper 
on  which  I  had  done  my  best,  with  prayers  and 
tears ;  and  asked  him  to  give  it  a  place  in  the 
Republic,  with  an  editorial,  maintaining  the 
impression  that  it  was  written  by  and  not  for  a 
drunkard's  wife,  for  I  had  abundant  material 
from  which  I  wrote,  and  he  accordingly  did : 

AN  APPEAL  TO  THE  WOMEN  OF  SPRINGFIELD. 

Women  of  Springfield,  My  Sisters :  —  My  misery 
has  become  greater  than  I  can  bear.  I  know  not 
which  w,.y  to  turn.  I  have  no  one  to  whom  I  can 
go  for  redress,  for  protection — no  one  but  God.  I 
am  a  drunkard's  wife.  This,  to  those  who  have  had 
the  experience,  explains  all,  and  tells  my  pitiful  tale, 
better  than  any  words  I  can  command.  Yet  these 
are  surrounded  with  the  same  difficulties,  the  same 
trials,  and  are  lacking  the  same  helps  that  I  am. 
They  have,  indeed,  their  lives  and  hearts  so  full  of 
their  own  miseries,  that  they  have  no  room  for  mine. 


48  MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

And  if  they  had,  are  as  helpless  as  I  myself  am,  to 
alleviate  their  own  sorrow,  without  a  thought  of  help- 
ing others.  My  story  is  a  brief  one,  and  so  like  hun- 
dreds and  thousands  of  others  that  you  hear  of  daily, 
till  they  have  become  such  a  matter  of  indifference 
to  you  that  I  fear  you  will  pass  it  by  unheeded. 
Yet,  oh,  I  pray  you  for  God's  sake,  listen  to  me. 

I  was  once  young  and  gay  and  happy,  as  any  of 
you  are.  I  was  raised  respectably  and  tenderly,  and 
held  my  place  in  the  best  circle  of  society.  When 
twenty,  I  married  a  man  whom  I  loved — intelligent, 
upright,  honorable,  sober — as  I  thought.  I  had  never 
seen  him  drink,  and  did  not  know  he  ever  tasted  any- 
thing that  would  intoxicate.  We  started  in  our  own 
happy  home,  with  bright  prospects  for  the  future. 

So  bright  and  happy  were  those  days,  gone  forever. 
But  alas !  I  directly  found  that  my  husband,  when  he 
met  his  old  associates,  would  com-e  home  with  the 
smell  of  liquor  on  his  breath.  I  will  not  weary  you 
with  a  repetition  of  the  common  story  of  neglected 
business,  the  going  down,  down,  the  loss  of  our  little 
Eden,  the  gradual  change  in  my  husband's  nature, 
from  one  of  the  most  tender  and  loving,  to  a  moody, 
morose,  abusive  husband  and  father.  So  changed, 
so  besotted  and  imbruted  has  he  been  made  by  this 
consuming  appetite,  that  he  is  an  object  of  loathing 
and  terror  to  those  who  once  were  thrilled  with  delight 
by  the  sound  of  his  approaching  footsteps. 

So  low  have  we  sunk,  that  a  miserable  hovel  in  one 
of  the  lowest  quarters  of  the  city  furnish  us — not  a 
home,  (that  word  for  me  and  my  helpless  children  has 
no  longer  any  meaning),  but  a  precarious  shelter  from 
the  elements. 

So  destitute  have  we  become,  that  the  poorest  fare 
barely  saves  us  from  starvation.  Our  clothing  is  so 
poor  and  scant  that  my  children  are  no  longer  able 
to  attend  school,  and  if  they  were,  the  older  ones  are 
becoming  unable  to  bear  the  taunts  and  jeers  of  the 
other  more  fortunate  children,  who  call  their  father 
a  drunkard,  and  them,  a  drunkard's  children. 

We  hear  the  sweet  music  of  the  Sabbath  bells  call- 
ing the  happy,  the  wealthy,  the  fortunate  to  Sabbath 
School  and  the  sanctuary.  But  not  for  us  do  they 
chime  forth  on  the  still,  balmy  air  of  these  beautiful 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  49 

Sabbath  mornings.  No  place  there  for  the  drunk- 
ard's family.  If  we  should  attempt  to  go  in  our 
faded  and  patched  garments,  you,  my  sisters,  to 
whom  I  make  this  appeal,  extorted  by  the  depths  of 
misery  and  woe,  would  be  so  shocked  and  horrified 
as  to  show  it,  and  add  to  our  mortification  and  distress  ; 
for  our  condition  makes  us  sensitive  and  keenly  alive 
to  every  such  manifestation. 

No  peaceful  Sabbath-days  for  us,  though  we  are  in 
a  Christian  city,  boasting  its  twenty  churches,  with 
their  respectable,  well-dressed  audiences.  Oh,  do 
ministers  of  Christ  ever  remind  you  that  while  you 
sit  there  so  comfortably,  listening  to  the  sweet  sounds 
of  the  gospel,  there  are  men,  women  and  children 
who  never  enter  your  churches?  who,  while  you  are 
praying  and  praising  in  the  sanctuary,  are  living  in 
the  midst  of  scenes  of  drunken  brawls  and  Sabbath 
desecration  ?  Oh,  do  those  ministers  ever  remember 
us  in  their  prayers  ? 

Do  you,  oh  my  happy  sisters,  ever  think  to  put  up 
a  prayer  for  the  drunkard's  family  ?  We  are  told 
that  the  law  is  now  on  our  side,  and  are  exhorted 
to  go  into  the  courts  and  prosecute  those  more  than 
murderers,  the  liquor-sellers.  But  how  little  do  people 
know  of  the  difficulties  that  surround  the  drunkard's 
wife.  The  shame  and  mortification  of  a  public  expos- 
ure, a  woman's  ignorance  of  law,  and  the  fear  of 
doing  something  wrong;  the  difficulty  of  getting  such 
witnesses  as  will  testify  to  the  facts  necessary  to  a 
successful  prosecution ;  the  shrinking  from  appearing 
in  a  court-room  alone,  among  a  low  class  of  drinking 
men,  whom  the  dignity  of  the  Court  cannot  restrain 
from  jeering  and  making  low,  coarse  remarks  ;  where 
even  respectable  (?)  lawyers  can  be  bought  for  a  price 
to  plead  against  her,  using  low,  personal  attacks,  when 
the  facts  fail  them. 

Could  one,  of  all  the  Christian  women  of  this  city, 
be  induced — even  for  the  love  of  Christ — be  induced 
to  come  and  sit  by  her  side — her  husband  forbidding 
her,  and  using  his  authority  or  perhaps  violence  to 
prevent  it  ?  Besides,  what  has  a  poor  drunkard's  wife 
to  offer  a  lawyer  to  prosecute  her  case  ?  Oh,  sisters, 
sisters !  poverty,  wretchedness  and  black  despair  are 
settling  down  upon  me ;  I  have  no  way  to  turn. 

(4) 


5O  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

Willingly  would  I  give  my  life !  Oh,  I  would 
gladly  go  to  the  stake,  if  by  that  means  my  once  noble 
"husband  could  be  restored  to  his  family,  to  himself, 
to  his  God !  But  I  see  no  way  for  me,  and  am 
tempted,  so  sorely  tempted,  to  take  my  own  life  and 
end  my  misery,  and  am  only  restrained  because  of 
my  poor  children ;  and  yet  how  can  I  save  them  from 
the  fate  of  infamy  and  pauperism  ?  It  seems  to  me 
I  shall  go  mad.  Help  me,  oh  sisters,  for  the  dear 
Christ's  sake.  As  you  hope  for  mercy  at  his  hand  in 
the  great  day,  hear  and  heed  my  appeal.  Fain  would 
I  go  and  kneel  to  each  of  you,  and  tell  you  my  woe 
if  I  could.  Oh,  stop  only  a  few  moments  and  consid- 
er my  case.  Stop  in  the  midst  of  your  happiness  and 
gayety,  your  occupations  with  dress  and  amusements, 
and  consider  the  hundreds  of  poor  drunkard's  wives 
and  children  in  the  city,  who  have  no  one  to  help  or 
befriend  them. 

You,  my  fortunate  sisters,  have  the  power  to  close 
these  drinking-dens ;  you  could  bring  happiness  once 
more  to  these  aching  hearts.  Give  us  a  few  moments 
of  your  happy  hours  in  your  closets.  Appeal  to  God 
for  us ;  use  your  influence  with  the  men  who  rule  our 
city.  Oh,  if  you  only  would  combine,  and  demand 
that  these  holes  of  destruction  should  be  closed,  it 
would  be  done  at  once.  Will  you  do  it  ?  I  ask  it 
for  myself  and  helpless  children ;  for  the  hundreds  of 
women  and  children  in  like  situation.  The  winter  is 
coming  on  and  we  have  nothing  with  which  to  meet 
it.  The  Benevolent  Society  will  again  do  its  utmost 
to  relieve  the  extreme  cases  of  suffering  and  want. 
God  bless  those  noble  women  for  their  noble  efforts, 
but  after  all,  how  meagre  is  the  supply,  and  it  does 
not,  cannot  touch  the  root  of  the  matter. 

I  have  heard  that  in  nearly  all  your  churches  you 
have  societies  working  for  the  help  of  women  in 
heathen  lands.  For  this  I  am  thankful ;  I  would  not 
have  you  do  less.  How  sweet  it  must  be  to  have  the 
privilege  of  helping  the  needy.  May  you  reap  an 
abundant  harvest.  But,  oh,  while  you  are  thus 
laboring,  do  not  forget  your  sisters  here  in  this  Chris- 
tian land,  who  are  as  degraded  and  as  effectually  shut 
off  from  the  gospel  as  if  in  the  remotest  heathen 
lands.  In  the  name  of  our  Blessed  Master,  who 


MEMORIES   OF  THE    CRUSADE.  51 

when  he  was  on  earth   went   about   doing  good,  oh, 
sisters  of  Springfield,  help  us. 

A  DRUNKARD'S  WIFE. 

I  do  not  know  whether  there  ever  was  any 
event  or  circumstance  in  the  world's  history, 
however  solemn,  that  somewhere  in  it  did  not 
protrude  itself  the  whimsical  or  the  ludicrous. 
Certainly,  all  through  our  wonderful  Crusade,  so 
full  of  the  most  exalted  experiences,  as  also  of 
the  most  sad  and  pathetic,  ever  and  anon  would 
some  incident  thrust  itself  in  that  took  on  all 
the  airs  of  a  first-class  farce.  In  this  instance, 
in  the  midst  of  the  excitement  and  inquiry  in 
regard  to  the  letter  and  its  author,  one  poor  fellow, 
feeling  very  sure  the  case  fitted  him,  conceived 
the  idea  that  it  was  his  wife  that  wrote  that  letter, 
and  he  would  answer  it,  so  he  would ;  and  he  did, 
and  the  editor,  always  ready  to  oblige,  very 
kindly  let  him  expose  himself  to  ridicule  by 
publishing  it.  The  rest,  who  found  themselves 
thus  photographed,  pretended  not  to  recognize 
the  likeness,  and  kept  silent. 

I  copy  from  the  Republic,  October  17: 

AN    INEBRIATE    HAS    HIS    SAY. 

After  the  publication  of  his  Nicholas  Nickleby,  in 
which  the  character  of  Squeers,  the  finished  country 
school-master,  is  prominent,  Dickens  is  said  to  have 
received  letters  from  all  parts  of  England,  the  writers 
being  country  school-masters,  each  believing  himself 
the  original  of  the  character,  and  each  threatening 
legal  proceedings,  personal  chastisement,  and  all  sorts 
of  terrible  things. 

A  few  days  ago  the  Republic  published  a  commu- 
nication from  a  ••  Drunkard's  Wife,"  which  seems  to 
have  created  quite  a  commotion,  every  dissipated 


52  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

Benedict  in  the  community  thinking  the  communica- 
tion an  emanation  from  his  own  decidedly  better  half, 
either  in  person  or  by  proxy. 

One  such  has  been  moved  to  send  the  annexed 
note,  which  we  take  the  liberty  of  inserting,  notwith- 
standing a  subsequent  request  from  the  writer  to  sup- 
press it.  No  names  being  mentioned,  nobody  need 
take  it  as  personal,  and  a  point  is  made,  which  is 
worthy  of  consideration.  Here  is  what  a  drunkard 
says: 

To  the  Editor :  —  I  find  in  this  week's  Republic  a 
communication  from  a  "  Drunkard's  Wife,"  wherein 
she  laments  sorely  over  her  drunken  husband.  I 
would  merely  suggest  to  this  drunkard's  wife,  that  it 
might  be  possible  that  she  made  me  a  drunkard. 
Had  she  been  the  loving  angel  that  she  was  when  I 
married  her,  the  probability  is  that  she  and  her  chil- 
dren would  now  be  all  right. 

DRUNKARD. 

Much  inquiry  was  made  of  the  editor  and  my- 
self about  that  drunkard's  wife.  One  most 
excellent  lady  came  to  me  to  inquire  if  I  knew 
her  to  be  really  a  worthy  woman.  If  she  really 
deserved  to  be  helped,  of  course  the  case  should 
be  looked  after.  It  had  struck  the  good  Christian 
people  of  our  city  as  a  most  astonishing  thing 
that  even  one  woman  could  be  suffering  as  the 
author  of  this  letter  seemed  to  be.  They  had 
not  seen,  had  not  thought,  or  noticed,  and  could 
with  difficulty  be  made  to  believe  it,  so  indiffer- 
ent were  the  good  people,  at  this  time,  to  the 
drink  question  in  our  midst. 


CHAPTER    III. 


Court — Exciting  and  Affecting  Scenes. 

THURSDAY,  October  16,  by  previous 
arrangement,  we  appeared  in  the  Mayor's 
court  to  prosecute  our  suit.  Several 
ladies  were  also  present.  But  the  defense,  using 
their  prerogative,  had  the  case  adjourned  over  to 
the  next  Tuesday,  the  2ist,  which  was  all  in  our 
favor,  however,  as  the  reporters  made  quite  a 
sensation  of  the  affair,  especially  mentioning  the 
fact  that  a  large  delegation  of  ladies  of  promi- 
nence in  the  churches  and  in  society  was  present. 
My  next  move,  in  the  interim,  was  to  write  out 
something  over  thirty  copies  of  a  petition  to  the 
City  Council,  pray  ing  them  to  exercise  the  author- 
ity vested  in  them  by  the  law  known  as  the 
"  McConnelsville  Ordinance,"  to  close  up  or 
abate  all  tippling  houses  or  places  of  habitual 
resort  for  drinking  purposes,  as  nuisances.  With 
the  utmost  difficulty  I  succeeded  in  enlisting  ladies 
to  circulate  these  petitions.  At  this  day,  after 
the  women  have  had  so  thorough  a  training  of 
over  thirteen  years.it  will  hardly  be  possible  to 
realize  what  were  the  obstacles  to  be  overcome 
in  those  first  days  of  the  work. 


54  MEMORIES   OF   THE    CRUSADE. 

When  the  next  day  for  trying  our  case  came, 
a  company  of  ladies  went  with  me  to  the  lawyer's 
office  where  we  met  our  friend  and  her  children 
and  escorted  them  to  the  court  room.  The  first 
light  snow  of  the  season  had  fallen,  making  the 
air  raw  and  bleak  and  the  walking  bad  by  the 
mixture  of  snow  and  mud.  My  poor  friend  was 
dressed  in  a  very  light,  faded,  though  scrupulously 
clean  calico  dress,  and  noticing  the  other  ladies 
warmly  clothed  in  black,  she  expressed  her  mor- 
tification to  me.  I  told  her  not  to  mind,  it  was 
just  as  I  would  have  it.  The  case  had  by  this 
time  attracted  much  attention.  The  room  outside 
the  bar  was  crowded  with  men  and  there  was  an 
increased  number  of  ladies  in  attendance.  My 
ministerial  friends  failed  to  appear,  except  Rev.  A. 
Meharry,  then  our  Presiding  Elder,  who  has  since 
gone  to  his  reward,  and  Rev.  Weatherby,  of  the 
Baptist  church,  whom  I  had  not  known  before. 
But  I  noticed  him,  as  the  case  went  on,  standing 
and  watching  with  deep  interest,  while  the  tears 
ran  down  his  manly  face.  We  succeeded,  in  spite 
of  the  opposition,  in  getting  a  good,  honest  jury 
impanneled.  The  attorney  for  the  defense  evi- 
dently felt  far  from  comfortable ;  I  fancied  his 
knees  shook  just  a  little.  The  fact  was,  he  had 
not  only  to  face  that  jury  of  respectable  citizens 
on  the  wrong  side  of  a  very  bad  case,  but  a  whole 
array  of  Christian  ladies  besides.  A  gentleman 

present  remarked  that  Mr.  W had  rather 

have  seen  ten  lawyers  at  the  table  than  Mother 
Stewart.     The  probability  is  if  I  had  been  young 


MEMORIES    OF   THE    CRUSADE.  55 

and  handsome,  it  would  have  altered  the  case. 
Noticing  that  he  attempted  to  confuse  and  irritate, 
with  the  hope  of  throwing  me  off  my  balance, 
the  ladies  became  very  indignant,  and  sending  to 
me  to  come  to  them,  told  me  not  to  mind  him  ; 
I  had  as  good  a  right  to  examine  the  witnesses 
as  he  had.  I  told  them  not  to  be  alarmed,  but 
to  continue  in  prayer ;  everything  was  going  in 
our  favor.  I  wrote  on  a  slip  of  paper,  "Oh,  do 
pray  for  us,"  and  sent  it  to  Mr.  Meharry,  who 
sat  at  the  Mayor's  side.  By  request  of  my  col- 
league, I  made  the  opening  charge  and  the  open- 
ing plea  to  the  jury.  In  my  plea  I  did  not  forget 
to  remind  them  of  the  woman's  scant  and  unsea- 
sonable garb,  pointing  also  to  the  poor,  ragged 
shoes  of  the  youngest  child — a  pair  of  her  sister's 
old  cloth  shoes,  too  large  and  no  protection 
against  the  snow  and  mud,  while  the  man  who 
had  robbed  them  of  their  protector  and  provider, 
sat  there  so  comfortably  muffled  up  in  his  heavy 
overcoat. 

The  case  wore  on  till  time  to  adjourn  for  tea. 
The  attorney  for  the  defense  expressed  the  hope 
that  we  might  have  a  good,  quiet  time  after  tea, 
as  the  visitors — by  which  we  understood  him  to 
mean  the  ladies — would  most  probably  not  return. 

But  instead  of  the  ladies  not  returning,  more 
came,  and  indeed  some  were  so  interested  that 
they  did  not  go  home  to  tea,  but  remained  in  the 
court-room.  A  littU  after  ten  o'clock  the  case 
was  given  to  the  jury,  who,  after  fifteen  or  twenty 
minutes  retirement,  returned,  and  the  foreman 


$6  MEMORIES   OF   THE    CRUSADE. 

reported  a  verdict  for  the  plaintiff  of  $300,  the 
amount  sued  for. 

Mr.  Rawlins  remarked  to  me  that  he  did  not 
know  what  we  should  do  for  our  juror's  fees. 
He  supposed  they  would  have  to  wait  till  we 
could  collect  the  money.  One  of  the  gentlemen 
started  out  saying,  "  I  donate  my  fee."  The 
next  followed,  saying,  "  I  donate  mine. "  The 
ladies  just  then  saw  where  the  cheer  came  in, and 
made  a  lively  closing  by  waving  of  handkerchiefs 
and  clapping  of  hands,  and  the  men  outside  the 
bar  took  it  up  and  gave  three  rousing  hurrahs  ! 
But  early  next  morning  the  liquor  men  were  out 
in  force,  and  pledged  themselves  to  sustain  the 
saloon-keeper  in  appealing  his  case.  And  it  was 
nearly  four  years  before  a  final  decision  was 
reached,  which  did,  however,  sustain  the  Mayor's 
Court. 

What  an  outcry  is  made  by  those  tender- 
hearted gentlemen  about  taking  the  bread  out  of 
the  mouths  of  their  wives  and  children  if  there  is 
any  encroachment  made  upon  their  murder-mills. 

The  Springfield  Republic  of  the  next  day  gave 
the  following  report  of  the  case  : 

ANOTHER  DEALER  IN  BLUE  RUIN  BROUGHT  TO  GRIEF 
UNDER  THE  ADAIR  LAW. 

The  case  wherein  Mrs.  Anna  Saurbier  sues  Karl 
Niehaus  and  his  sister,  Mrs.  Busjam,  for  damages  in 
$3 oo,  by  reason  of  liquor  sold  to  her  husband,  Jacob 
Sourbear,  the  defendants  running  a  low  gin  mill  with 
the  usual  grocery  attachment  on  East  Main  street, 
came  to  trial  before  the  Mayor  on  yesterday  (Tuesday) 
afternoon,  consuming  the  time  from  two  until  eleven 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  5/ 

o'clock,  P.  M.  The  lobby  of  the  court-room  was 
crowded,  and,  notwithstanding  the  forbidding  aspect 
of  the  weather,  a  large  number  of  ladies  found  seats 
within  the  bar,  and  seemed  to  regard  the  proceedings 
with  feelings  of  the  deepest  interest  and  sympathy, 
nearly  all  remaining  until  the  end  was  reached  late  in 
the  evening. 

The  presence  of  these  Christian  ladies,  represent- 
ing some  of  the  best  families  of  our  city,  was  a  new 
and  pleasant  feature,  and  was  no  doubt  a  pleasure 
and  support  to  the  suffering  woman  obliged  to  pass 
through  such  a  painful  ordeal.  The  persistency  and 
patience  with  which  they  sat  through  the  long  hours 
of  the  afternoon  and  evening,  and  the  close  attention 
paid  to  the  testimony  (often  extremely  affecting),  the 
long-winded  and  purely  technical  arguments  of  coun- 
sel on  disputed  points,  and  the  cross-firing  of  dull 
details  of  law,  showed  conspicuously  that  their  attend- 
ance was  purely  a  matter  of  principle,  and  their  inter- 
est in  the  case  and  cause  real  and  unfeigned.  The 
plaintiff  was  also  present  with  her  little  ones,  three  in 
number,  aged  respectively  fifteen,  twelve  and  nine. 
The  woman  Busjam  and  her  brother  Niehaus  sat 
beside  their  attorney,  seeming  not  best  to  relish  their 
position,  and  no  wonder.  The  jury  consisted  of 
Messrs.  Charles  Rabbitts,  E.  S.  S.  Rouse,  T.  B.  Peet, 
J.  R.  Squire,  Chas.  H.  Peirce  and  C.  B.  Hauk. 

Witnesses  were  first  examined  to  show  that  Mr. 
Sourbear  was  a  good  mechanic,  capable  of  supporting 
his  family  if  he  stuck  to  business,  but  through  habits 
of  intoxication  he  had  lost  one  place  after  another, 
and  had  become  a  sot,  scarcely  knowing  what  it  was 
to  go  to  bed  sober. 

The  plaintiff  herself  was  put  upon  the  stand.  Hers 
was  that  old,  old  story,  heard  in  magistrates'  courts 
any  day  and  many  times  a  day.  Born  and  brought 
up  in  good  circumstances,  as  she  herself  said  "  never 
to  know  what  want  was ; "  married  with  good  pros- 
pects, but  after  a  few  years  reduced  to  wretched 
poverty;  forced,  although  in  very  delicate  health,  to 
labor  unceasingly  ;  obliged  to  send  her  young  children 
among  strangers,  thus  depriving  her  of  the  only 
gleam  of  light  on  her  dark  pathway  ;  all,  through  the 
dissipated  habits,  lack  of  resolution  and  unfaithfulness 


58  MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

of  one  who  had  sworn  to  love,  cherish  and  support 
her  and  hers;  who  was  good,  kind  and  attentive 
when  sober  and  in  his  right  mind,  but  who  had  seem- 
ingly yielded  to  the  wiles  of  the  tempter  past  the  power 
of  resistance,  until  he  was  a  burden  upon  the  already 
overburdened  woman. 

The  little  children,  a  boy  and  two  girls,  bright, 
pretty  and  interesting,  also  gave  in  their  testimony  in 
their  own  artless  way,  telling  how,  time  after  time, 
they  had  been  to  take  their  father  away  from  the  place 
where  he  got  his  poison,  often  before  their  eyes,  having 
j  ust  as  much  as  they  could  do  to  get  him  home.  When 
warned  to  desist  and  furnish  him  no  more  liquor,  the 
saloon-keepers  laughed  scornfully  and  said,  "If  the 
Mayor  and  all  the  lawyers  were  there,  they  would  sell 
him  liquor  as  long  as  he  paid."  By  their  own  testi- 
mony, it  was  only  after  the  ruin  was  accomplished, 
and  the  victim  unable  to  "  pay,"  that  he  was  thrust 
out  and  told  to  go  home  to  his  family. 

In  fact,  the  testimony  of  the  children  made  the 
case.  The  boy,  particularly,  was  to  the  point;  he 
could  neither  be  confused  nor  made  to  contradict 
himself  under  the  most  adroit  cross-examination. 

Once  the  elder  d  mghter  broke  down  in  her  testi- 
mony, and  was  obliged  to  leave  the  stand  in  a  fit  of 
weeping.  At  six  o'clock  a  recess  was  taken  for  supper, 
and  the  hearing  resumed  at  half-past  seven.  The 
testimony  for  the  defense  was  soon  got  through  with, 
consisting  chiefly  of  simple  denials  of  statements  on 
the  other  side.  Mrs.  E.  D.  Stewart  then  addressed 
the  jury,  opening  for  the  plaintiff,  setting  forth  in 
language  that  went  to  the  heart  of  every  listener,  the 
situation  of  affairs  as  shown  by  the  evidence,  and 
appealing  for  justice  for  the  unfortunate  and  deeply 
injured  woman  and  her  children  then  in  court.  E. 
S.  Wallace.  Esq.,  counsel  for  the  defense,  followed. 
Mr.  Wallace's  position  was  rather  an  unenviable  and 
undesirable  one,  but  as  a  lawyer  he  made  the  best 
presentation  possible  for  his  client,  and  at  least  from 
a  professional  standpoint  acquitted  himself  without 
discredit. 

George  C.  Rawlins,  Esq.,  closed  for  the  plaintiff. 
His  effort  was  a  fine  one;  points  well  taken  and  well 
put,  and  inspired  by  the  righteousness  of  his  cause 


MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE.  59 

and  the  sympathy  of  his  audience,  made  an  eloquent 
and  powerful  appeal.  Mayor  Hanna  then  presented 
the  case  to  the  jury,  who  retired,  and  after  an  absence 
of  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes,  returned  a  verdict 
through  their  foreman,-  Mr.  Chas.  Rabbitts,  in  favor  of 
the  plaintiff  for  the  full  amount  of  damages  claimed. 
Counsel  for  the  defense  gave  notice  of  an  appeal. 

I  next  prepared  a  paper  for  the  ministers  of 
the  city  in  the  form  of  a  pledge,  to  the  effect 
that  they  would  preach,  simultaneously,  each 
from  his  own  pulpit,  unannounced,  morning  or 
evening,  from  the  text,  '  'Am  I  my  brother's 
keeper?"  This  I  took  and  handed  in  to  the 
Pastors'  Monday  morning  meeting,  but  was  too 
modest  to  go  in  myself  and  explain  my  motive, 
(have  grown  some  since),  which  was  sensational, 
to  arouse  the  Christian  people.  I  hoped  they 
might  all  preach  at  the  same  hour,  and  when 
this  came  to  be  known,  and  that  they  had  all 
preached  from  the  same  text,  it  would  create  not 
a  little  excitement  and  discussion.  Upon  com- 
paring notes,  they  found  that  it  would  not  be 
convenient  to  preach  at  the  same  time.  However, 
they  did  agree  to  preach  a  temperance  sermon, 
and  I  think  all,  white  and  colored — with  perhaps 
a  single  exception — preached  from  my  text. 

"O  the  anxi  us  voices  ca  ling 
From  the  mountain  Seir  to-day; 

From  the  tr  dden  down  and  fettered 
From  the  ranks  in  Rum's  affray. 

Watchman,  is  hope's  banner  there, 

High  above  this  dark  despair? 

"  Back  the  watchman  sends  the  answer, 
•Out  beyond  the  darkest  night, 

Lo !  the  day  1>  eal  s  in    ts  splendor; 
Help  is  coming,  right  is  might ! 

Soo  a  to  sea, 

Seir's  inhabitants  are  free  !" 


CHAPTER  IV. 


Visit  to  a  Saloon  on  the  Sabbath. 


THIS  time  it  became  necessary  to  col- 
lect my  petitions,  for  I  felt  hurried  to  get 
the  work  on  as  fast  as  possible.  I  put  a 
card  in  the  paper,  asking  the  ladies  having  the 
petitions  to  leave  them  in  care  of  Mrs.  R.,  a 
clerk  in  the  Republic  office.  But,  no  indeed, 
they  presumed  I  was  going  to  publish  their 
names  and  they  could  not  think  of  such  a  thing. 
So  I  had  to  travel  all  over  the  city  to  gather 
them  up.  One  lady  had  only  obtained  one 
name  to  hers.  Another  had  taken  hers  some 
where  and  forgotten  it,  and  so  on.  Nevertheless 
when  I  got  them  gathered  up,  I  found  600  had 
given  their  names.  A  great  many  gentlemen 
were  eager  to  sign,  but  I  was  impressed  that 
this  work  was  for  the  women.  If  I  had  taken 
more  time  I  have  no  doubt  but  I  could  have 
procured  twice  as  many  names.  But  oh,  the 
weariness  and  labor  of  it  all.  The  world  sees 
the  result  of  benevolent  or  philanthropic  effort, 
and  if  it  proves  successful  they  applaud.  Little 
do  they  dream  what  it  costs.  I  was  slowly 
coming  up  out  of  a  long  experience  of  invalidism, 

60 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  6 1 

when  I  had  not  expected  ever  to  be  able  to 
walk  a  quarter  of  a  mile  again.  Of  course  the 
exertion  laid  me  on  my  bed  again,  but  only  for 
a  few  days.  I  could  not  afford  to  be  ill  now.  I 
invited  another  committee  of  ladies,  members  of 
the  various  churches,  to  accompany  me  to  the 
Council  Chamber  to  present  our  petitions.  And 
again  I  exhorted  them  to  continue  in  prayer. 
Indeed  I  asked  whoever  I  could  reach  to  help  us 
with  their  prayers.  I  was  so  exercised  on  the 
subject  that  I  was  ready  to  call  on  everybody 
to  help.  I  now  think  of  a  young  man  that  I 
appealed  to  in  the  Council  Chamber,  as  I  passed 
him,  to  pray  for  us.  He  looked  startled  for  a 
moment,  then  with  much  seriousness  replied, 
"Yes,  I  will."  I  give  below  the  report  of  our 
visit  to  the  Council,  as  found  in  the  Springfield 
Republic  of  the  next  day  : 

THE  CITY  FATHERS  VISITED  BY  THE  MOTHERS. 

The  City  Council  chamber,  at  the  regular  meeting 
of  the  municipal  legislature  on  last  (Tuesday)  evening, 
was  the  scene  of  a  remarkable  gathering  and  pro- 
ceedings. Remarkable  in  some  points  of  view  and 
in  others  not  at  all  so. 

Just  before  the  commencement  of  business,  a  dele- 
gation of  about  25  women,  representing  the  wives, 
mothers,  daughters  and  sisters  of  our  fair  city, 
appeared  and  were  assigned  seats  in  the  lobby  of  the 
house.  After  the  usual  routine  of  opening  had  been 
accomplished,  a  member  announced  their  presence, 
and  moved  a  suspension  of  the  rules  of  Council  in 
order  to  give  the  visitors  an  audience.  The  motion 
was  carried,  and  stepping  within  the  bar,  Mrs.  E.  D. 
Stewart  proceeded  to  address  the  members,  stating 
that  she  held  in  her  hand,  and  would  present  for  the 
consideration  and  action  of  Council,  a  petition  signad 


62  MEMORIES   OF   THE    CRUSADE. 

by  over  600  women  of  the  city,  praying  Council  to  use 
all  means  in  their  power  to  close  the  liquor  saloons 
in  the  city,  and  put  a  stop  to  the  traffic  carried  on  in 
them.  The  petition  is  as  follows : 

We,  whose  names  are  under  written,  ladies  of  the 
city  of  Springfield,  respectfully  call  upon  you  for  the 
immediate  suppression  of  "  all  ale,  beer  and  porter 
houses  and  all  houses  or  places  of  notorious  or  habit- 
ual resort  for  tippling  or  intemperance  "  within  the 
city  limits,  and  we  invite  your  attention  to  the  199^1 
section  of  the  Municipal  Code,  which  we  believe  ex- 
plicitly clothes  you  with  this  authority. 

By  the  provisions  of  the  i99th  section  of  the 
Municipal  Code — under  the  5th  head, Porter  Houses, 
etc., — Councils  of  incorporated  cities  are  author- 
ized to  regulate,  restrain  and  prohibit  ale,  beer  and 
porter  houses  or  shops,  and  houses  and  places  of  noto- 
rious or  habitual  resort  for  tippling  or  intemperance. 

Mrs.  Stewart  accompanied  the  presentation  of  the 
petition  with  an  address,  using  strong  language  and 
indisputable  facts  and  arguments  to  impress  upon  the 
minds  of  the  gentlemen  the  extent  of  the  evil  of  in- 
temperance in  our  midst  at  the  present  time,  and  the 
rapid  strides  it  was  making  among  the  young  men  of 
the  city,  who  are  through  this  agency  going  to  ruin. 

Mrs.  Stewart  claimed  that  the  business  was  illegal 
and  illegitimate  and  ought  to  be  suppressed.  The 
lady  had  no  faith  in  the  license  law.  We  have  in 
Springfield  seventy-five  or  more  saloons,  each  doing 
its  share  in  the  work  of  destruction.  Close  them 
up,  and  our  beautiful  city  would  become  famous  the 
country  through  as  a  temperance  town,  and  desir- 
able as  a  place  of  residence  to  the  best  class  of  peo- 
ple. Men  of  means  and  intelligence  would  be 
attracted  here  from  all  quarters;  property  would 
materially  increase  in  value,and  our  prosperity  would 
be  assured  from  that  hour.  Mrs.  Stewart  said  that 
she  had  been  approached  by  women  in  agony  because 
of  their  sons  who  frequent  these  places.  One  who 
had  walked  the  streets  at  the  midnight  hour  in 
search  of  her  own  son,  had  said  that  many  an  unsus- 
pecting mother  would  be  surprised  if  she  could  look 
into  these  places,  as  she  had  done,  and  see  who  were 
there.  Some  had  proposed  to  take  the  law  into  their 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  63 

own  hands,  and  execute  summary  justice  by  "  clean- 
ing out "  the  pestiferous  holes,  but  they  had  with  diffi- 
culty been  dissuaded  from  a  course  as  sure  to  injure 
only  themselves. 

The  times  are  hard  and  money  scarce.  Why  not 
stop  this  tremendous  drain  and  worse  than  waste, 
when  money  is  so  much  needed  for  the  necessaries 
of  life.  Mrs.  Stewart  said  that  while  she  spoke, 
many  good  men  and  women  all  over  the  city  were 
praying  for  the  success  of  the  movement,  and  closed 
by  appealing  to  the  Council  to  earnestly  and  carefully 
consider  the  petition. 

Mrs.  Guy,  who  accompanied  the  above  named 
lady,  was  then  introduced  and  presented  a  supple- 
mentary petition  to  same  effect  as  the  first,  bearing 
the  names  of  sixty  ladies  and  gentlemen,  also  lead- 
ing citizens,  making  some  remarks  of  a  fitting  nature. 

Mr.  Thomas  moved  to  refer  the  petition  to  a  select 
committee  of  three  members.  Mr.  Smith  wished  to 
refer  it  to  the  Police  Committee.  Mr.  Thomas'  motion 
was  carried,  and  the  President  named  that  gentle- 
man, Mr.  Stewart  and  Mr.  Grant  as  such  committee. 
Thereupon  the  ladies  retired  and  Council  proceeded 
with  regular  business. 

While  we  were  treated  most  courteously  and 
a  committee  appointed'  to  which  the  petition 
was  referred,  it  was  not  to  be  expected,  since 
one  of  the  councilmen  was  a  Distiller,  another  a 
Brewer,  and  a  third  a  Lawyer,  that  any  action 
would  be  taken  on  it.  My  object  was  to  arouse 
the  people  and  this  much  was  accomplished. 

But  as  I  copied  the  above,  a  sadness  that  no 
els  of  mine  can  express  came  over  me.  Oh, 
//that  body  of  municipal  lawmakers  had  heeded 
the  prayer  of  that  nearly  700  of  the  best  citizens 
of  Springfield,  how  different  would  be  the  situa- 
tion to-day  to  what  it  is,  and  what  a  long  list  of 
crime,  murders,  suicide,  woe,  poverty  and 


64  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

wretchedness  would  have  been  averted.  To-day 
(1887)  we  have  more  than  double  the  number  of 
saloons,  crime  of  every  sort  is  on  the  increase, 
and  one  of  those  men — yes,  I  think  two,  if  not 
more — that  I  addressed  that  night  might  be 
living  to-day  if  they  had  heeded  the  appeal  and 
banished  the  curse  from  the  city. 

There  seemed  to  be  a  little  danger  of  the  press 
giving  too  much  credit  to  one  individual  for  the 
interest  of  the  cause.  I  knew  very  well  that  if 
it  should  seem  to  the  public  that  this  agitation 
was  only  a  little  tempest  in  a  teapot  by  one 
woman,  it  would  not  command  the  attention  it 
would  if  it  should  seem  to  be  an  uprising  of  the 
people,  and  would  soon  blow  over.  I  went  to 
my  good  friend,  the  editor,  and  asked  him  to 
please  keep  me  in  the  background — (he  naively 
remarked  that  he  did  not  think  that  could  be 
done) — let  it  seem  that  everybody  had  risen  up 
against  the  business.  And  I  asked  him  to  pray 
for  me.  He  seemed  surprised  and  touched,  and 
looking  up  he  said,  ' '  Yes,  I  will,  Charley  (the 
local)  and  I  both  will,  and  we  will  help  you  other- 
wise too."  Oh,  how  from  my  heart  I  thanked 
him.  How  encouraged  and  strenghthened  I  went 
away,  he  little  knew.  And  he  and  Charlie  kept 
the  promise.  Some  time  after  this,  upon  going 
to  the  office,  my  friend  said,  ' '  Oh,  see  here,  I 
promised  to  pray  for  you ;  at  first  I  forgot,  but 
afterwards  I  did."  Not  a  solitary  instance  of 
forgetfulness,  I  reckon. 

To   make   it   seem  that  it  was  a  spontaneous 


MEMORIES   OF   THE    CRUSADE.  6$ 

^prising  of  the  people,  I  urged  other  ladies  to 
write  on  the  subject.  One  lady,  Mrs.  J.  A.  S. 
Guy,  to  whom  I  sent  a  note  requesting  her  to 
write,  after  taking  the  subject  under  prayerful  con- 
sideration, passing  a  sleepless  night  over  it, 
arose  the  next  morning  and  prepared  a  paper 
which  she  presented  to  the  City  Benevolent 
Society,  of  which  she  was  Secretary,  at  the  next 
session.  This  was  to  the  effect  that,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  poverty  and  want  of  so  many 
families  in  the  city,  almost  entirely  due  to  the 
liquor  traffic,  as  had  come  to  our  knowledge  in 
our  benevolent  work,  a  committee  be  appointed 
to  wait  on  the  ministers  at  their  Monday  morn- 
ing meeting  and  request  their  co-operation  in 
inaugurating  a  series  of  public  mass  meetings, 
more  effectually  to  arouse  and  enlist  the  citizens 
in  a  warfare  against  the  liquor  business.  A  com- 
mittee of  three  ladies  was  accordingly  appointed, 
Mrs.  Guy,  Mrs.  Cathcart,  and  Miss  Mary  Cloakey. 
The  conference  was  most  satisfactory  ;  the  min- 
isters pledged  themselves  to  sustain  and  assist 
the  ladies  in  any  measure  they  might  deem  wise 
to  inaugurate. 

I  was  called  away  from  the  city  for  a  few  days 
at  this  time,  and  was  not  at  this  conference. 
Upon  my  return,  I  found  the  ladies  arranging 
for  their  first  mass  meeting,  which  was  accord- 
ingly held  in  Mr.  Hamma's  Church,  the  English 
Lutheran,  on  the  night  of  the  2nd  of  December. 
The  plan  adopted  and  so  successfully  carried 
out  for  many  months,  was  to  have  a  good  choir 


66  MEMORIES    OF  THE    CRUSADE. 

of  singers  under  a  competent  leader  ;  a  presiding 
officer,  who  should  conduct  the  services,  which 
were  singing,  reading  of  Scripture,  one  or  more 
prayers,  with  two  or  three  brief  addresses  on 
some  phase  of  the  temperance  question  by  gen- 
tlemen or  ladies,  as  should  happen  to  be  arranged 
by  the  committee  appointed  to  take  charge  of 
this  work.  On  the  programs  prepared  for  these 
meetings  were  found  ministers,  lawyers,  physi- 
cians and  prominent  business  men,  and  also 
many  ladies  who  astonished  themselves  not  less 
than  everybody  else  with  their  well  considered, 
well  written,  and  gracefully  delivered  essays  or 
lectures. 

Of  a  goodly  list  of  these  ladies  I  now  recall, 
Mrs.  Jason  Phillips,  Mrs.  S.  M.  Foos,  Mrs. 
Thos.  Bean,  Mrs.  Rev.  Button,  of  the  Univer- 
salist  Church ;  Mrs.  R.  Thomas,  Miss  Ogden, 
Mrs.  M.  W.  Baines.  The  latter  lady,  who  had 
already  attracted  some  attention  by  her  pen,  I 
remember  was,  after  a  good  deal  of  persuasion 
by  Mrs.  Guy  and  myself,  induced  to  prepare  a 
paper  early  in  the  course.  It  was  not  long  till 
she  was  called  into  the  field  as  one  of  the  most 
popular  lecturers,  and  has  since  made  herself  a 
praiseworthy  record  in  the  temperance  cause.both 
on  the  platform  and  with  her  pen.  The  con- 
tagion from  our  revival  was  beginning  to  spread 
to  adjacent  towns,  and  I  was  being  called  to 
1 '  come,  wake  up  the  women. "  The  impression 
seemed  to  be  deepening  and  spreading,  that 
somehow  through  the  influence  of  women  the 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  6*J 

fight  must  be  made  against  this  terrible  enemy 
that  had  so  long  defied  men,  whether  arraigned 
by  law  or  gospel,  and  was  day  by  day  growing 
stronger,  bolder  and  more  defiant. 

On  the  first  of  December  a  committee  was 
sent  by  the  citizens  of  Osborn,  a  flourishing  vil- 
lage in  the  adjoining  county  of  Greene,  to  invite 
me  to  come  and  arouse  their  women.  I  went 
down  and  found  the  people,  under  the  leadership 
of  that  devoted  man  of  God,  Rev.  Cummings, 
pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  much  stirred 
up  on  the  subject  and  ready  for  action. 

Here  is  an  item  of  history,  which  has  escaped 
the  notice  of  the  various  chroniclers  of  the  rise 
and  fall  (?)  of  the  Crusade,  which  is,  that  to 
Osborn  belongs  the  credit  of  forming  the  first 
regularly  organized  Woman's  Union,  or  League, 
as  we  called  our  organizations  at  first,  with  offi- 
cers and  constitution,  in  the  State. 

I  sat  down  and  prepared  a  constitution  just 
before  going  to  the  meeting,  and  at  the  close  of 
the  meeting,  with  the  assistance  of  the  pastor, 
we  organized  by  electing  Mrs.  A.  B.  Lee,  a 
refined  and  estimable  lady,  as  President,  and 
Mrs.  Hargrave,  also  a  lady  of  fine  education  and 
good  position,  as  Secretary,  with  a  full  list  of  minor 
officers  and  a  very  large  list  of  members. 

Feeling  much  encouraged  by  the  success  of  my 
meeting.  I  proposed  to  return  to  the  city  to 
be  present  at  our  first  mass  meeting;  but  the 
minister  and  friends  insisted  that  I  must  remain 
over,  as  they  had  use  for  me  the  next  night  also. 


68  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

One  of  the  ministers  of  the  city  had  been  invited 
to  lecture  on  the  next  evening,  which  he  did 
to  the  great  satisfaction  of  the  people,  using 
with  some  alteration  the  sermon  he  had  recently 
preached  on  the  subject  in  his  own  pulpit.  I 
followed  him,  narrating  some  quite  touching 
incidents  that  friends  had  written  me.  The 
minister  was  quite  reanimated  himself  by  his 
effort  and  the  evident  gratification  of  his  audi- 
ence, and  on  the  following  Sabbath,  in  his  own 
pulpit,  again  preached  on  temperance,  to  a  very 
large  audience,  quite  eclipsing  his  former  effort. 
I  heard  much  comment  and  eulogy  of  the  sermon. 
"Especially,"  said  one,  ''those  incidents  he 
related,  wer'n't  they  touching?  There  was  hardly 
a  dry  eye  in  the  house."  What  were  they? 
Humph !  Had  stolen  my  thunder.  I  leave  it  to 
the  court  to  say  if  it  was  quite  fair.  And 
especially  when  my  stock  in  hand  at  that  time 
was  rather  limited,  and  not  quite  so  well  assorted 
as  I  have  been  enabled  to  collect  in  the  course 
of  the  succeeding  years.  I  think  I  may  as  well 
tell  another  little  incident  here,  though  it  occured 
several  months  later. 

I  was  called  to  one  of  our  large  cities  to 
help  the  Crusaders  celebrate  Fourth  of  July. 
The  meeting  took  the  form  of  a  picnic  and 
was  held  on  the  Fair  Grounds.  There  was  a 
very  good  attendance,  and  besides  myself  there 
were  three  gentleman  orators.  I  shall  never 
forget  my  agony  and  tears  and  almost  despair 
as  I  sat  listening  to  the  rythmical  flow  of  elo- 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  69 

quence  from  the  lips  of  the  Rev.  .     '  'Oh, "  I 

cried  in  my  distress,  "  my  Father,  my  Father, 
why  hast  thou  called  me  here  to  stand  by  the 
side  of  such  strength  and  eloquence?  I,  so 
little  and  weak.  Oh,  what  shall  I  do?  "  Had  to 
do  the  best  I  could.  A  day  or  two  after  my 
return  home,  my  feet  feeling  a  little  chilly,  I 
took  from  my  library  Talmage's  NctJicr  Side  of 
New  York,  and  sat  down  by  the  kitchen  stove 
to  toast  my  toes  a  little.  Opening  at  random  — 
oh,  why  here  is  my  reverend  friend's  elo- 
quent address,  verbatim  ad  literatum  from  begin- 
ning to  end.  Oh,  pshaw !  It  did  not  seem  half 
so  bad  to  be  extinguished  and  annihilated  by 
Talmage,  certainly  not  at  second  hand.  Isn't 
it  amazing  how  much  human  nature  there  is  in 
folks  ? 

A  lady  sent  to  ask  me  to  come  to  her  house 
on  a  Sabbath,  during  the  hour  of  service,  and 
see  the  throngs  of  men  that  went  through  an 
alley  at  the  rear  of  her  house  and  through  a  back 
entrance  into  one  of  the  principal  saloons.  I 
was  not  able  to  go  at  the  hour  of  preaching,  but 
on  the  afternoon  of  Sabbath,  I4th  of  December, 
I  went.  I  had,  with  earnest  prayer,  considered 
the  matter  and  finally  decided  what  I  would  do 
if  Providence  seemed  to  favor,  but  kept  my  own 
counsel.  I  could  not  foresee  what  might  possi- 
bly be  the  result,  or  what  censure  very  well- 
meaning  people  might  attach  to  me.  So  I 
determined  that  if  my  purpose  should  fail  or  bring 
disaster  I  would  alone  bear  the  consequences. 


7O  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

My  husband  was  at  that  time  looking  after  some 
business  matters  in  the  South.  My  niece  I  knew 
would  either  insist  upon  going  with  me  at  all 
hazzards,  or  would  at  least  be  greatly  distressed 
lest  some  terrible  thing  should  befall  me.  The 
dear  ladies  also,  who  were  standing  so  bravely  by 
my  side,  would  either  have  tried  to  dissuade  me 
or  asked  to  go  with  me.  I  had  a  purpose  in  the 
step  I  was  about  to  take  that  I  felt  I  could  not 
fully  explain  to  others,  and  decided  to  keep  my 
own  counsel.  I  sat  an  hour  in  my  friend's  sitting- 
room,  seeing  men  coming  and  going  through 
the  alley  that  ran  between  Central  M.  E.  Church 
and  my  friend's  residence  on  High  street,  and  the 
building  in  which  the  saloon  was  located  on 
Main  street.  A  walk  well  laid  with  tanbark  led 
into  the  saloon ;  and  if  it  had  not  been  for  the 
stained  windows  of  the  church,  the  preacher 
could  have  seen  the  throng  passing  as  he  stood 
in  his  pulpit.  I  have  promised  that  when  this 
"cruel  war  is  over," — when? — I  am  going  to 
prepare  a  lecture  on  stained  windows.  We 
church  people  stain  our  windows  so  that  we 
cannot  look  out,  the  saloon  men  stain  theirs  so 
we  cannot  look  in,  and  so  the  work  of  death  goes 
on  by  a  sort  of  tacit  agreement  or  compact.  My 
friend  said  one  Sabbath  morning  she  saw  a  man 
go  in  with  a  sweet  looking  baby  in  his  arms.  I 
suppose  he  had  encouraged  the  good  wife  and 
mother  to  go  to  meeting  that  morning,  with  the 
promise  that  he  would  take  care  of  the  baby. 
Taking  advantage  of  her  absence,  he  had  taken 


MEMORIES    OF   THE   CRUSADE.  7 1 

the  baby  with  him  into  that  dreadful  place  to  get 
his  morning's  dram,  she,  dear,  confiding  soul, 
feeling  very  grateful  for  the  opportunity  of  once 
more  joining  the  worshipers  in  the  sanctuary.  I 
have  ever  since  felt  it  my  duty  to  advise  ladies, 
when  they  leave  husband  at  home  to  watch  baby, 
to  leave  some  one  to  watch  husband. 

At  the  end  of  an  hour  I  said,  "If  I  had  a  dis- 
guise I  would  go  in  there  ;"  and  asked  the  lady  if 
she  could  furnish  me  one.  She  thought  a 
moment,  and  said,  "Yes,  I  can;"  and  brought 
a  large  waterproof  circular  that  enveloped  me  to 
my  feet,  and  a  black  and  white  check  gingham 
sun-bonnet  having  a  corded  front  coming  well 
over  the  face,  a  cap  crown  and  deep  cape.  I  took 
off  my  glasses,  put  back  my  hair  and  donned  my 
outfit.  I  have  always  flattered  myself  that  I 
made  a  very  respectable  looking  old  Irish  woman. 
As  I  passed  out  I  turned  to  the  lady  and  her 
daughter  and  said,  ' '  Oh,  now  pray  for  me  as  you 
never  prayed  before  in  your  lives  !"  They  went 
with  me  to  the  gate  that  opened  into  the  alley,  the 
daughter  saying  afterwards  that  she  went  to  keep 
guard,  that  if  any  harm  befell  me  she  would 
give  the  alarm  to  their  next  neighbor.  But  I 
was  not  thinking  of  danger,  I  felt  buoyed  as  if  I 
was  treading  on  the  air.  I  entered  one  door — as 
I  did  so  a  large,  colored  man  came  out,  dressed 
quite  nicely  and  with  a  very  shiny  hat  on.  I  do  not 
know  what  I  said  to  him,  but  upon  my  return 
from  England,  the  first  Sabbath  as  I  was  on  my 
way  to  church  a  colored  man,  sitting  with  others 


J2  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

under  an  awning,  sprang  up  and  coming  forward 
offered  his  hand,  bowing  very  politely,  welcomed 
me  home,  asked  me  if  I  did  not  remember  hav- 
ing met  him  that  Sabbath  morning  as  I  entered 
Stubbe's  saloon,  and  what  I  said  to  him.  I  did  not 
remember,  but  he  proceeded  to  assure  me  he  had 
not  drank  a  drop  in  the  three  years  since.  I 
would  be  glad  to  know  he  has  not  to  the  present 
time.  I  passed  the  third  door  before  reaching 
the  saloon  where  the  drinking  was  going  on. 
There  were  young  men  standing  at  the  counter 
drinking,  and  some  older  men  sitting  about  the 
place. 

I  had  intended,  if  I  saw  anyone  with  a  glass 
that  I  could  be  sure  held  liquor,  in  his  hand,  to 
quietly  take  the  glass  and  walk  out.  But  I 
could  not  feel  sure  that  what  those  young  men 
were  drinking  was  liquor,  so  I  saw  I  would 
have  to  call  for  something  myself,  but  was  greatly 
puzzled  as  to  what  to  call  for.  I  desired  to  make 
two  cases  at  the  same  time  against  the  saloon- 
keeper. One  for  selling  distilled  liquors  by  the 
glass  to  be  drank  on  the  premises,  under  our 
State  'law,  and  the  other  for  selling  on  Sunday, 
under  the  Sunday  ordinance.  But  I  was  rather 
afraid  to  ask  for  whisky  or  brandy,  lest  I  might 
be  suspected  as  a  spy.  I  found  afterwards  that 
I  might  have  bought  by  the  drink  or  demijohn, 
without  creating  any  suspicion.  I  asked  the  bar- 
tender if  I  could  have  something  to  drink.  He 
asked  what  I  wanted.  Here  again  I  was  quite  at 
my  wit's  end,  for  I  did  not  know  one  wine  from 


MY    FIRST    GLASS. 


MEMORIES   OF   THE    CRUSADE.  73 

another,  but  at  a  venture  I  asked  if  he  had  any 
sherry  wine.  He  set  a  bottle  and  two  small 
glasses  on  the  counter,  one  having  a  little  water 
in  it.  I  did  not  understand  what  the  water 
meant,  but  presumed  he  thought  as  I  was  a 
woman  I  would  not  care  to  take  mine  "  straight," 
as  gentlemen  do.  I  picked  up  the  bottle  and 
started  to  pour  out  the  wine,  but  I  did  not  know 
just  how  much  would  be  called  a  drink,  and 
as  I  found  my  nerve  force  giving  way  quite  op- 
portunely, so  that  my  hand  trembled,  and  as  I 
wanted  to  implicate  him  as  far  as  possible,  I  re- 
quested him  to  pour  it  out  for  me,  remarking 
that  I  felt  rather  badly.  He  accordingly  poured  it 
out  for  me.  I  asked  the  price,  and  he  said  a  dime, 
which  I  laid  down,  and  picking  up  the  glass 
walked  out. 

I  have  often,  in  telling  this  adventure,  enjoyed 
the  decided  frowns  that  cloud  the  gentlemen's 
brows  when  I  tell  them  I  acted  on  the  principle 
that  in  some  things  women  are  cleverer  than  they 
are.  There  is  always  an  instant  lighting  up, 
however,  when  I  add  that  I  knew  if  that  had 
been  a  woman  behind  the  counter,  she  would 
have  jumped  at  me  like  a  cat.  But  I  knew  too 
that  that  man  would  have  to  stop  to  work  out 
the  problem  as  to  what  was  best  to  be  done  in 
the  case,  and  while  he  was  working  out  his 
problem  I  would  be  able  to  put  a  safe  distance 
between  us.  Upon  reaching  the  alley  I  looked 
back  and  saw  him  in  the  yard,  with  hands  spread, 
a  picture  of  amazement.  I  took  my  glass  home 


74  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

and  sealed  it  up  for  future  use.  Why  did  I  take 
so  remarkable  a  step  for  a  lady  ?  is  a  very  natural 
question,  and  some,  not  understanding  the  mo- 
tive that  actuated  me,  were  not  slow  to  criti- 
cise me.  One  reverend  gentleman  did  so  in  my 
presence. 

By  those  who  could  not  and  never  have  been 
able  to  comprehend  the  motives  that  then  and 
through  the  subsequent  years  influenced  and 
impelled  me,  of  course  I  cannot  make  myself 
understood.  I  will  say  this  much,  however :  I 
had  seen  that  though  our  city  had  a  Sunday 
ordinance,  by  which  those  dens  could  be  closed 
on  the  Sabbath,  yet  the  law  was  set  at  naught  by 
the  back  doors  always  being  open.  I  was  told 
that  I  could  have  gone  into  every  saloon  in 
the  city  that  morning  and  bought  any  amount,  if 
I  had  sought  the  back  entrance.  The  city  offi- 
cials knew  this,  from  highest  to  lowest;  the 
business  men  knew  it ;  church  people  knew  it, 
ministers  knew  it,  but  no  one  seemed  to  think 
it  any  of  his  business.  It  came  out  later  that  the 
keeper  of  this  same  saloon,  it  being  opposite 
one  of  our  largest  churches,  had  enticed  our 
little  boys,  on  their  way  to  Sunday  School,  into 
the  place  and  given  them  candies  saturated  with 
brandy.  And,  as  I  have  said,  the  minister  from 
his  place  at  the  altar  could  have  seen  the  trains 
of  men  thronging  by,  if  the  windows  had  not  been 
made  of  elegantly  stained  glass.  I  saw  that  some 
extraordinary  means  must  be  used  to  compel 
the  attention  of  the  people  to  the  condition  our 
city  was  in. 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  75 

In  short,  the  people  must  be  shocked  into  some 
sort  of  life  and  interest,  as  the  physician,  being 
called  to  a  patient  and  finding  him  in  a  comatose 
state  that  must  terminate  in  death  if  not  speedily 
relieved,  takes  a  heavily  charged  battery  and 
sends  a  strong  current  of  electric  fluid  through 
his  system,  with  the  hope  of  shocking  him  out  of 
his  insensible  condition  into  life. 

Sensation  !  again  you  say ;  and  I  say,  Yes,  I 
insist  it  is  a  legitimate  means ;  and  so  would  you 
if  your  house  was  on  fire  or  your  child  had  fallen 
into  the  water. 

On  the  Tuesday  evening  following  (December 
1 6)  we  were  to  have  our  second  mass-meeting, and 
I  wished  to  call  out  a  large  audience,  and  I  hoped 
this  one  saloon  and  possibly  others  might  be 
sufficiently  alarmed  to  respect  the  law  for  a  Sab- 
bath or  two  thereafter.  Monday  morning  I 
started  to  the  Republic  office,  intending  to  give 
to  the  local  enough  of  what  I  had  done  to  create 
curiosity  and  call  out  the  desired  crowd.  But  I 
was  very  much  surprised  to  find  that  my  secret 
was  already  on  the  street.  I  had  supposed  the 
saloonist  and  his  customers  would  prefer  to 
keep  silent.  When  I  reached  the  office  the  editor 
sprang  up,  grasped  my  hand  and  exclaimed, '  'God 
bless  you !  I  never  saw  such  a  woman  before  in 
my  life.  I  could  not  have  done  such  a  thing/' 
I  found  the  local  busy,  scribbling  away  as  for  life, 
at  the  unusual  incident.  I  explained  to  him  that 
I  wanted  to  control  that  bit  of  news.  No,  he 
insisted  that  it  was  now  out  and  it  was  his  sen- 


76  MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

sation.  I  told  him  I  had  a  purpose  in  it  and 
could  not  be  thwarted,  so,  by  dint  of  a  little 
scolding,  I  succeeded  in  getting  the  following 
item  to  the  public: 

THE  TEMPERANCE  MEETING. 

If  the  general  tone  of  public  opinion  and  senti- 
ment is  regarded  at  this  time,  there  is  no  need  to  urge 
people  to  turn  out  and  attend  the  mass  temperance 
meeting  at  the  Central  M.  E.  Church  to-morrow  even- 
ing. The  people  will  be  there  en  masse,  and  it  will  only 
be  a  question  of  where  to  put  them.  A  new  feature, 
never  before  introduced  and  of  a  decidedly  sensational 
nature,  will  characterize  the  meeting,  and  if  you  want 
to  know  what  it  is,  go  early  and  stay  to  the  close.  It 
will  cost  nothing.  And  then  go  to  the  tea-party. 

The  tea-party  referred  to  was  a  Boston  Cen- 
tennial Tea-party,  given  by  the  ladies  of  the 
Benevolent  Society,  held  at  the  City  Hall,  follow- 
ing the  temperance  meeting. 

We  had  a  crowded  house  and  hundreds  went 
away  unable  to  get  in.  After  the  speakers  on 
the  program  had  got  through,  being  introduced 
by  the  chairman  as  having  something  out  of  the 
usual  line  to  present,  I  took  my  glass  and  exhib- 
ited it  to  the  audience,  producing  quite  a  flutter 
of  excitement.  I  told  the  story,  "  How  I  bought 
my  first  glass  of  liquor,"  and  asked  if  there  were 
any  gentlemen  there  who  would  come  forward 
and  prosecute  the  liquor-dealer  for  breaking  the 
Sunday  ordinance,  adding  that  I  stood  ready  to 
be  a  witness  in  the  case.  Gentlemen  had  told 
me  it  was  not  necessary  for  anyone  else  to  appear. 
I  could  just  go  and  make  my  affidavit  in  the  case 
and  have  him  fined. 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

I  told  them  I  knew  that  very  well,  but  I 
wished  to  see  some  of  the  gentlemen  show  their 
hand.  It  had  come  to  be  rather  fashionable  for 
gentlemen  meeting  me  as  I  came  and  went  in 
my  work,  to  grasp  my  hand  and  exclaim,  ' '  God 
bless  you,  Mother  Stewart,  go  on,"  and  I  had 
begun  to  think  it  was  about  time  for  some  of  them 
to  come  on.  Several  did  indeed  rise  in  the  audi- 
ence and  pledge  themselves  to  attend  to  it.  But 
after  waiting  until  the  latter  part  of  the  week 
without  hearing  from  them,  I  wrote  notes  and 
hired  a  boy  to  deliver  them  to  several  gentlemen, 
requesting  them  to  meet  me  at  the  Mayor's  office 
the  next  morning.  But  they  did  not  make 
their  appearance.  Rev.  J.  W.  Spring,  of  the  M. 
P.  Church,  however  came  and  acted  as  prose- 
cutor. I  had,  early  in  the  week,  stepped  into 
the  saloon  and  laid  down,  under  vehement  pro- 
testations from  the  proprietor  and  his  clerk,  the 
price  of  the  glass,  that  they  might  not  be  able  to 
get  up  a  little  side  current,  as  they  hoped,  because 
of  my  carrying  off  the  glass. 

I  also  directed  the  policeman  to  return  both 
glass  and  wine  when  I  was  done  with  it.  Though, 
if  I  could  have  had  a  little  more  help  at  the  time, 
by  having  the  wine  analyzed,  I  could  then  have 
made  another  case  for  selling  impure  liquors. 

The  man  was  fined  $30  and  costs,  this  being 
the  first  time  a  case  had  been  made  on  him 
though  he  had  been  arraigned  before  ;  and  this 
was  the  heaviest  sentence  that  had  been  assessed 
up  to  that  time,  or  that  was  for  several  years 
afterwards. 


78  MEMORIES   OF   THE.  CRUSADE. 

The  people  were  beginning  to  wake  up  and 
public  sentiment  was  setting  against  the  saloon, 
and  it  was  getting  easier  for  officers  to  do  their 
duty. 

Editor  Bickham  of  the  Dayton  (Q.)  Journal  \s 
responsible  for  the  name  by  which  we  and  our 
work  will  henceforth  be  known,  he  being  the  first 
to  employ  it,  as  far  as  I  know,  in  an  editorial  that 
appeared  in  the  Journal,  and  was  copied  by  our 
Republic,  with  the  following  remark : 

Mother  Stewart  cannot  complain  that  she  has  not 
plenty  of  newspaper  backing.  Here  comes  the  Dayton 
Journal  and  talks  in  this  vigorous  manner  : 

"One  woman  in  Springfield  is  disturbing  the  whole 
city — not  an  unusual  thing  for  a  woman  to  do,  how 
ever,  as  they  have  in  times  past  changed  the  course 
of  whole  empires.  The  lady  to  whom  we  refer  is 
Mrs.  Stewart,  who  is  on  a  Temperance  Crusade 
against  liquor-selling.  She  is  determined  to  banish 
the  trade  from  Springfield,  and  has  got  herself  rein- 
forced by  a  battalion  of  resolute  women,  who  are 
making  it  hot  for  saloon-keepers. 

"Last  Sunday  she  disguised  herself,  entered  a  saloon 
and  purchased  a  glass  of  liquor,  which  she  carried 
away  with  her.  Tuesday  night  she  rallied  her  forces 
at  a  public  meeting,  displayed  her  glass  of  liquor  on 
the  platform,  made  a  telling  speech,  invoked  a  lawful 
assault  upon  the  saloon-keeper  and  was  vigorously 
sustained  in  her  proposal.  That  saloon-keeper  will 
have  to  shut  up  shop." 

In  the  month  of  November,  I  think  it  was — 
have  not  the  exact  date  at  hand — I  was  invited 
to  lecture  in  New  Carlisle,  a  very  pleasant  village 
in  the  western  part  of  our  county. 

The  citizens  had,  by  action  of  their  Council 
under  the  McConnelsville  Ordinance,  closed  up 
the  saloons  in  their  town.  But  they  were  greatly 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  79 

annoyed  by  a  saloon  which  was  started  just  out- 
side of  the  corporation,  and  enticing  men  and 
boys  out  where  they  could  indulge  in  even 
greater  excess  than  when  in  the  more  public 
part  of  town.  I  remember  I  urged  the  ladies 
to  go  in  committee  or  company,  take  their 
knitting  and  sit  with  him,  and  sit  or  knit  him 
out.  I  told  them  if  they  would  only  undertake 
it  they  could  knit  him  to  death. 

But  they  had  not  the  courage,  and  by  just 
that  much  missed  the  credit  of  being  the  origina- 
tors of  the  Crusade  or  saloon  visitation.  Said 
they  had  no  one  to  lead  them.  Only  a  few  weeks 
later,  all  over  the  State  were  seen  bands  of  women 
marching  the  streets,  entering  saloons  and  pray- 
ing the  keepers  to  give  up  their  soul-destroying 
business.  I  think  I  must  beg  the  reader's  indul- 
gence while  I  give  a  few  extracts  from  a  very 
full  report  of  our  second  meeting,  found  in  the 
Republic  of  the  I7th,  as  I  wish  to  do  what  I  can 
towards  transmitting  to  posterity  a  unique  deliv- 
erance of  legal  reasoning  and  conclusions  by  our 
municipal  Solons,  that  cannot  find  its  parallel 
outside  of  liquor  legislation.  I  may  add  that 
our  city  law-makers  have  held  their  own  up  to 
the  present  time,  now  fourteen  years,  and  so  has 
the  liquor  business,  with  its  long  train  of  crimes, 
misery  and  death,  and  in  a  continually  increas- 
ing ratio.  The  same  brewer  has  just  been  re- 
elected  to  Council  at  our  recent  Spring  elec- 
tion: 


80  MEMORIES    OF   THE"   CRUSADE. 

THE    PEOPLE  VERSUS   THE   LIQUOR  TRAFFIC — IM- 
MENSE  AND   ENTHUSIASTIC    MASS-MEETING    AT 
CENTRAL  M.  E.  CHURCH — ADDRESSES  BY  REV. 
J.  W.  SPRING,  REV.   MR.  ALLEN,   MR.  J.  A. 
JACKSON,     AND     MOTHER     STEWART — A 
GLASS  OF  LIQUOR  BOUGHT  ON  SUNDAY 
EXHIBITED  TO  THE  AUDIENCE — WHAT 
THE  LAW  IN  THE  CASE  IS. 

The  large  and  fine  audience-room  of  the  Central 
M.  E.  Church  was  filled  with  an  immense  audience 
Tuesday  evening,  the  occasion  being  that  of  the 
second  Temperance  Mass-Meeting,  held  under  the 
auspices  of  the  Ladies'  Benevolent  Society.  Not  only 
was  every  seat  in  the  body  of  the  house  and  the 
gallery  filled,  but  chairs  were  brought  into  the  aisles 
and  occupied,  and  hundreds  of  people  were  com- 
pelled to  stand.  Yet  the  exercises  were  of  such  a 
deeply  interesting  nature  that  there  was  no  bustle  or 
confusion,  except  as  the  speakers  were  applauded, 
and  even  those  who  were  without  seats  remained 
until  the  last.  Vocal  and  instrumental  music,  as  at 
the  first  meeting,  formed  a  part  of  the  program,  and  a 
part  that  was  very  pleasing  and  acceptable.  Mr.  J. 
Lamar  Coleman  led  the  music.  Rev.  C.  W.  Ketcham, 
pastor  of  Central  Church,  presided.  *  *  *  Another 
person  (C.  M.  Nichols)  was  called  upon,  but  declined 
in  favor  of  the  famous  Mother  Stewart,  and  her  ap- 
pearance was  greeted  with  applause.  Mrs.  Stewart 
gave  a  resume  of  the  campaign  thus  far,  spoke  of  the 
poor  woman  whose  brother  was  a  President  of  a 
Southern  College,  but  whose  husband  was  a  com- 
mon drunkard.  This  woman  came  to  her  to  get 
help.  The  habits  of  her  husband  were  so  bad  that 
she  was  obliged  to  break  up  her  household  and  take 
her  children  and  leave  the  city. 

From  this  had  sprung  the  work  already  done.  It 
had  been  asked,  Why  don't  you  women  go  to  work  ? 
And  they  had  gone  to  work,  and  now  they  needed 
help.  The  people  did  not  know  how  much  iniquity 
was  going  on  in  the  city. 

As  Mrs.  Stewart  stepped  upon  the  platform  she 
set  a  glass  tumbler  with  a  scarlet  liquid  in  it,  carefully 
covered  with  a  white  paper  to  prevent  its  evaporation, 


MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE.  8 1 

upon  the  table  by  her  side,  and  the  very  appearance 
of  the  tumbler  was  making  a  very  good  speech  of  itself. 
Mrs.  Stewart  said  she  bought  that  glass  of  liquor  at 
a  saloon  on  Main  street,  within  a  stone's  throw  of  the 
Central  Methodist,  Congregational  and  First  Presby- 
terian church  edifices,  on  Sunday  last.  *  *  * 

Mrs.  Stewart  then  asked  the  men  of  Springfield, 
would  they  prosecute  this  case,  and  several  hands 
were  held  up  as  token  that  they  would.  Scores  of 
women  held  up  their  hands  to  show  their  determi- 
nation to  aid  in  the  work,  and  we  have  no  doubt 
they  meant  business  in  the  way  of  suppressing  the 
traffic  in  Springfield,  and  that  active  operations  will 
commence  at  an  early  day. 

Mrs.  Stewart  then  read  the  oath  of  office  of  the 
city  officers,  councilmen,  etc.,  as  follows: 

"  State  of  Ohio,  Clark  Co.,  ss :  Personally  ap- 
peared before  me,  a  Notary  Public  in  and  for  said 
county,  the  undersigned,  who  being  duly  sworn, 
deposes  and  says  that  he  will  support  the  Constitu- 
tion of  the  United  States ;  of  the  State  of  Ohio,  and 
will  perform  faithfully  and  punctually  the  duties  of 
office  to  which  he  has  been  elected.  Sworn  to  and 
subscribed,  etc.,  etc." 

She  then  read  the  extract  from  the  iggih  Section 
of  the  Municipal  Code. 

The  petition  of  six  hundred  women  of  Springfield 
to  the  City  Council  was  then  read. 

Mrs.  Stewart  next  read  the  following  extract  from 
the  report  of  Council  Committee  on  the  above  peti- 
tion : 

We  also  give  it  as  our  deliberate  judg- 
ment that  the  matter  to  which  this  petition  refers  is 
of  such  transcendent  importance  as  to  demand  of  this 
Council  the  exhausting  of  every  means  within  its 
power  to  divest  it  of  its  capacity  for  making  misery 
and  crime  within  our  midst.  The  univeral  sense  of 
the  Christian  world  condemns  drunkenness  as  a  crime. 
*  And  if  this  be  so  upon  recognized  prin- 
ciples, measures  are  demanded  to  prevent  and  pun- 
ish it. 

"The  temperance  movement  throughout  the  land 
has  suffered  more  from  the  indiscretion  of  its  friends 
than  from  the  open  opposition  of  its  enemies.  We 

(6) 


82  MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

are  therefore  not  in  favor  of  recommending  the 
Council  to  grant  what  is  asked  for  by  the  petitioners." 

She  then  gave  the  action  of  the  Council  assembled 
December  2nd,  1873,  in  the  adoption  of  the  follow- 
ing two  resolutions  out  of  the  five  submitted  with 
the  report  of  the  committee  appointed  to  report  on 
the  petition  of  the  600  ladies  : 

"Resolved,  That  the  indulgence  in  intoxicating 
drinks,  whereby  neglect  and  want  are  brought  home 
to  the  family,  is  a  crime  against  nature,  and  it  is  ex- 
pedient to  exercise  any  authority  or  impose  any 
punishment  necessary  to  prevent  it. 

1 1  Resolved,  That  it  is  an  apparent  and  acknowl- 
edged fact  that  there  is  an  indulgence  in  intoxicat- 
ing drinks  in  this  city  which  deprives  families  of 
peace,  comfort  and  proper  support,  and  that  there  are 
those  who  take  in  exchange  for  their  drinks  the 
money  known  to  be  needed  for  family  support,  con- 
trary to  law." 

The  effect  of  the  addresses,  and  particularly  that  of 
Mrs  Stewart, was  electric  and  most  wholesome.  Many 
persons  in  the  audience  were  so  influenced  by  what 
had  been  said  that  they  appeared  ready  and  anxious 
to  put  their  hands  to  the  work. 

It  was  to  me  a  subject  of  wonder  and  gratitude 
how  the  Lord  led  us,  opened  the  way  and  sup- 
plied our  needs,  in  this  new  and  wonderful 
work.  Early  in  our  movement  I  began  to  wish 
some  one  might  be  inspired  to  write  our  songs 
for  us.  As  in  the  political  campaigns,  more 
especially  during  our  war,  the  songs  that  were 
written,  and  sung  by  the  people,  had  a  great  in- 
fluence in  winning  our  cause.  We  all  know  how 
Mrs.  Howe's  "  Battle  Hymn"  fired  all  hearts, 
both  at  home  and  on  the  field,  to  do  and  to  suffer 
unto  death  for  their  country.  If  only  some  one 
might  be  raised  up  now,  to  give  us  such  songs 
as  would  catch  the  popular  ear, — be  caught  up 


MEMORIES    OF   THE    CRUSADE.  83 

by  the  boys  on  the  street,  everywhere  on  the 
lips  of  the  people,  what  an  inspiration  it  would 
be  for  our  work.  Behold  you,  in  the  "Gospel 
Songs"  that  we  commenced  to  use  in  our  first 
mass-meetings,  were  just  what  we  needed ;  and 
very  soon  floated  out  all  over  the  land,  ' '  All 
hail  the  power  of  Jesus'  Name,"  "Jesus,  Lover 
of  my  Soul,  Let  me  to  Thy  bosom  fly,"  "Rock 
of  Ages,  cleft  for  me,"  "Nearer  my  God  to 
Thee,"  and  hundreds  and  thouands  were  in- 
spired to  fall  into  ranks  by  these  glorious  war 
songs  of  the  Crusade,  even  the  saloon-keepers 
themselves  often  taking  up  the  refrain.  I  remem- 
ber one  such  in  Ironton,  who,  though  unyield- 
ing* yet  the  songs,  together  with  the  prayers 
and  tears  of  the  women,  so  haunted  his  memory 
and  disturbed  his  peace  that  he  could  be  heard 
walking  his  room  in  the  night,  singing  the  songs  he 
heard  the  women  singing  in  theii  daily  visitations 
to  his  saloon. 

From  the  beginning  of  this  remarkable  work, 
all  the  old-time,  stale,  and  often  coarse  and  ques- 
tionable anecdotes  that  had  been  in  times  past 
reckoned  as  wonderfully  telling  were  entirely  dis- 
carded ;  no  place  for  them.  And  he  who  at 
anytime  attempted  to  introduce  them  very  soon 
discovered  his  mistake.  The  spirit  that  pervaded 
the  whole  movement  was  earnest,  solemn,  devo- 
tional, the  atmosphere  seeming  to  say,  ' '  No 
time  for  trifling  here." 

Among  my  first  thoughts  in  the  work  was 
how  to  enlist  the  young  people,  especially  the 


84  MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE. 

young  men.  If  the  excitement  fell  short  of  the 
young  people  we  would  only  succeed  in  part. 
How  could  they  be  enlisted  ?  became  an  absorb- 
ing thought.  One  morning,  while  my  heart  was 
burdened  with  this  subject,  a  young  man  called 
and  introduced  himself  to  me  and  offered  his 
services  in  any  way  he  might  be  able  to  aid  the 
cause,  just  what  I  had  so  felt  the  need  of.  It 
may  to-day  look  like  a  very  trifling  incident,  but 
at  that  time  it  was  a  source  of  great  encourage- 
ment, and  I  received  it  as  from  the  Lord  and  in 
answer  to  my  cry  to  Him.  And  my  young 
friend  did  prove  himself  a  most  valuable  helper. 
I  am  happy  to  record  that  this  gentleman,  Mr. 
A.  H.  Griffith,  has  never  swerved  from  his  prin- 
ciples, but  has  given  his  strong  influence  and 
help  to  other  young  men  who  were  in  the  toils 
of  the  destroyer  or  being  tempted  to  their  ruin. 
I  was  one  morning  passing  along  Limestone 
street,  intent  on  some  duty  connected  with  my 
work,  which  now  absorbed  all  my  time,  when  Mr. 
G.  Harry  Phillips,— brother  of  Phillip  Phillips, 
the  world- renowned  singer, — who  was  standing  in 
the  door  of  his  office,  handed  me  a  paper,  saying, 
"  Mother  Stewart,  I  wish  you  could  inaugurate 
that  method  of  work  in  Springfield."  I  took 
the  paper  home  and  read  a  thrilling  account  of 
a  lecture  having  been  delivered  in  Fredonia,  N. 
Y.,  by  Dr.  Dio  Lewis,  of  Boston,  on  temperance, 
and  the  result.  I  shall  never  forget  the  last 
paragraph  of  this  wonderful  account,  dated 
Tuesday  morning,  just  as  it  went  to  press,  saying, 


MEMORIES    OF   THE    CRUSADE.  85 

"The  women  are  marching  127  strong."  It 
thrilled  me  like  the  blast  of  a  trumpet,  and 
does  yet  whenever  I  recur  to  it.  "Oh  !  "  I  said, 
' '  yes,  I  wish  we  could  inaugurate  such  a  move- 
ment in  our  city,  but  of  course  that  would  be 
impossible."  The  paper  containing  this  account, 
with  the  issue  of  the  next  week,  through  the 
kindness  of  Mrs.  E.  McNeil,  —  "one  of  the  few 
original  Crusaders  that  have  remained  in  active 
service  up  to  the  present  time," — accompanied 
by  a  very  interesting  letter,  is  before  me.  Says 
Mrs.  McNeil: 

Our  first  visiting  of  saloons  was  on  Decem- 
ber 15,  1873.  The  previous  week  Dr.  Dio 
Lewis  came  to  this  place  to  meet  a  lecture 
engagement, — his  subject,  "Our  Girls."  The 
Good  Templars  were  then  in  ascendency  here, 
and  they  were  looking  for  a  speaker  for  their 
quarterly  meeting,  which  would  be  the  next 
Monday  evening.  They  urged  Lewis  to  stay 
over  for  that  meeting.  He  said  he  had  nothing 
for  temperance  prepared,  as  he  had  given  very 
little  thought  to  the  subject  for  some  time.  1  hey 
still  urged  him  to  give  an  impromptu  talk.  He 
said  he  had  a  lecture  engagement  for  Jamestown 
on  Monday  evening,  and  then  he  was  to  go  from 
there  to  Ohio.  If  they  would  have  their  meet- 
ing on  Sunday  evening  he  would  stay  and  do 
the  best  he  could.  Now,  I  will  let  the  report  as 
found  in  the  Censor  of  December  17,  1873,  tell 
you  of  that  meeting. 

This,  and  that  of  the  next  week  are  in  the 
main  correct,  though  a  few  explanations  are  neces- 
sary. We  went  the  rounds  of  the  saloons  and 
drug-stores  until  most  of  them  locked  us  out;  they 
did  not  otherwise  treat  us  ill. 

I  think  we  went  the  rounds  five  times,  then 


86  MEMORIES   OF   THE    CRUSADE. 

the  leader,  Mrs.  Judge  Barker,  (an  Episcopal 
lady)  proposed  a  change,  to  stop  the  visits  and 
look  after  and  provide  for  the  suffering  poor. 
The  excitement  did  not  wear  out  the  following 
year;  and  with  myself  and  a  few  others  it  has 
never  worn  out. 

The  reporter  tells  of  the  unlocked  for  enthu- 
siasm of  that  meeting,  but  he  does  not  tell  the 
cause.  The  Holy  Spirit  descended  upon  that  au- 
dience, and  its  power,  if  not  manifested  in  simi- 
lar manner,  was  felt  as  sensibly  as  on  the  day  of 
Pentecost.  I  there  received  a  baptism  that  has 
kept  me  to  the  work  all  these  years.  It  was  not 
Dio  Lewis  that  so  moved  that  audience,  he  was 
just  as  much  surprised  as  any  one: 

You  will  see  by  the  paper  that  the  next  Mon- 
day, the  22nd,  we  finished  our  permanent  organ- 
ization, and  we  named  it  the  "Woman's  Christian 
Temperance  Union."  The  reporter  left  out  the 
word  Christian,  because  many  of  the  members 
were  Good  Templars  and  objected  to  that  part 
of  the  name.  This  was  the  voice  of  the  men 
who  favored  us,  but  the  women  always  clung  to 
the  full  name.  Our  weekly  meetings  have  never 
been  discontinued.  Dear  Mrs.  M.  A.  Tremain 
made  the  first  prayer  in  a  saloon.  She  is  now  in 
glory. 

In  one  saloon  we  visited  they  had  a  large  bil- 
liard table  at  one  end,  and  some  young  men  un- 
dertook to  keep  up  the  rolling  during  our  relig- 
ious exercises,  but  during  the  prayer  one  of  the 
ladies  laid  her  hand  on  one  of  the  balls.  That 
evening  one  of  the  young  men  went  to  the  leader 
and  apologized;  and  three  years  after  another  of 
those  young  men  confessed  that  during  that 
prayer  he  was  convicted  and  never  found  peace 
until  he  gave  himself  to  Chr'st.  No  liquor  has 
been  sold  in  our  town  for  eight  years. 

The  Fredonia  Censor  of  December  17,  1873, 
with  sensational  headjines,  tells  of  the  large  and 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  87 

enthusiastic  meeting  on  Sunday  evening,  the 
1 4th,  addressed  by  Dr.  Lewis,  who  gave  his  plan 
of  visiting  the  saloons,  which  in  his  boyhood  he 
had  seen  his  mother  and  her  neighbors  prosecute 
with  such  remarkable  success.  Remarks  of  in- 
dorsement were  made  by  a  number  of  influential 
gentlemen  and  a  call  was  made  for  the  ladies  who 
sympathized  with  the  cause  to  rise  up,  and  nearly 
every  lady  in  the  house  stood  up.  A  committee 
was  appointed  to  take  the  names  of  fifty  ladies  to 
serve  as  a  visiting  committee,  but  many  others 
were  enrolled.  Mrs.  A.  L.  Benton,  Mrs.  L. 
Williams,  Jr.,  Mrs.  Dr.  Fuller  and  Mrs.  J.  W. 
Armstrong  were  named  as  a  committee  to  draft 
an  appeal  to  the  liquor  dealers  ;  and  a  meeting 
was  announced  for  Monday  morning  at  10 
o'clock. 

At  the  hour  appointed  there  were  three  hundred 
men  and  women  present,  and  the  Committee  ap- 
pointed for  the  purpose  the  previous  evening 
submitted  and  the  meeting  accepted  the  follow- 
ing appeal : 

In  the  name  of  God  and  humanity  we  make  our 
appeal :  Knowing,  as  we  do,  that  the  sale  of  liquor 
is  the  parent  of  every  misery,prolific  in  all  woe  in  this 
life  and  the  next,  potent  alone  in  evil,  blighting  every 
fair  hope,  desolating  families,  the  chief  incentive  to 
crime,  these,  the  mothers,  wives  and  daughters,  rep- 
resenting the  moral  and  religious  sentiment  of  our 
town,  to  save  the  loved  members  of  our  households 
from  the  strong  temptation  of  .drink,  from  acquiring 
an  appetite  for  it,  and  to  rescue,  if  possible,  those  that 
already  have  acquired  it,  do  earnestly  request  that 
you  will  pledge  yourself  to  cease  the  traffic  here  in 
those  drinks  forthwith  and  forever.  We  will  also  add 
the  hope  that  you  will  abolish  your  gambling  tables. 


88  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

After  a  season  of  prayer  and  consultation,  the 
ladies  withdrew  to  the  rooms  below  to  arrange  the 
details  of  their  march,  the  brethren  continuing  in 
prayer  and  conference.  During  the  deliberations 
it  was  suggested  that  they  not  only  pledge  their 
moral  support  to  the  ladies,  but  a  money  support 
also,  and  a  long  list  of  names  is  given,  each  sub- 
scribing $1,000.  Mass-meetings  were  arranged 
for  every  Sunday  evening,  and  prayer-meetings 
for  every  night  through  the  week. 

About  half-past  twelve,  over  one  hundred  ladies 
marched  forth  on  their  mission,  led  by  Mrs. 
Judge  Barker  and  Mrs.  Rev.  L.  Williams.  Little 
did  they  know  that  they  were  setting  in  motion 
chords  that  would  ere  long  vibrate  around  the 
world,  touch  the  hearts  of  the  Christian  people 
and  awaken  an  interest  in  the  cause  of  temper- 
ance such  as  had  not  before  been  known. 

The  paper  of  the  following  week  reports  the 
progress  of  the  work  and  permanent  organization 
of  the  Union,  with  the  following  pledge : 

We,  the  undersigned  women  of  Fredonia,  feeling 
that  God  has  laid  upon  us  a  work  to  do  in  the  cause 
of  temperance,  do  hereby  pledge  ourselves  to  united 
and  continuous  effort  to  suppress  the  traffic  in  intoxi- 
cating liquors  in  our  village  until  this  work  be  accom- 
plished ;  and  that  we  will  stand  ready  for  united  effort 
upon  any  renewal  of  the  traffic.  We  will  also  do  what 
we  can  to  alleviate  the  woe  of  the  drunkard's  family, 
and  to  rescue  from  drunkenness  those  who  are  pur- 
suing its  ways. 

This  society  shall  be  known  as  The  Woman's 
Temperance  Union  of  Fredonia. 

To  this  pledge  is  appended  the  names  of  142 
married  and  63  single  ladies,  with  the  following 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  89 

officers :  President,  Mrs.  Geo.  Barker ;  Vice 
President,  Mrs.  Dr.  Barker ;  Secretary,  Mrs.  L. 
A.  Barmore;  Treasurer,  Mrs.  L.  L.  Riggs,  with 
a  large  Board  of  Directors. 

This  paper  also  reports  the  organization  of  the 
ladies  of  Jamestown,  after  a  lecture  of  Dio  Lewis 
on  Tuesday  evening,  and  their  visiting  the  saloons 
on  Wednesday  the  I7th.  Sixty-two  ladies 
formed  this  band,  but  more  were  added  each  day. 
They  called  their  association  * '  The  Ladies'  Tem- 
perance Society,  auxiliary  to  the  Jamestown  Total 
Abstinence  Society."  Mrs.  A.  Hazeltine  was 
made  President ;  Mrs.  W.  S.  Carnahan,  Secre- 
tary;  Miss  Jennie  Barrows,  Treasurer. 

The  ladies  of  Jamestown  did  not  follow  up  this 
form  of  work  very  long,  but,  as  their  sisters  of 
Fredonia,  they  received  an  inspiration  that  pre- 
pared them  for  effective  work  in  the  great  white 
ribbon  army  of  to-day. 

Only  a  few  days  after  these  stirring  events  in 
Fredonia  and  Jamestown,  the  whole  country  was 
thrilled  by  the  report  of  the  uprising  of  the 
women  of  Hillsboro,  Washington  C.  H.,  Wil- 
mington, Morrow,  New  Vienna,  and  ere  long 
hundreds  of  other  places.  Where  did  it  stop  ? 
Will  it  ever?  Nay,  not  till  the  liquor  curse  shall 
have  been  swept  from  off  the  face  of  the  earth  ; 
and  nevermore  shall  be  heard  in  all  the  green 
earth  the  wail  of  the  Rachels  because  of  their 
children  slain  by  this  Herod  of  the  nineteenth 
century. 

The  church  had  not  kept  up  to  the  apostolic 


9O  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

standard  of  piety,  faith  and  aggressive  work.  In- 
fidelity as  to  the  power  of  faith,  the  visible 
answer  to  prayer,  had  formed  a  lodgment  in  the 
church.  And  no  wonder !  A  mighty  force  in  the 
church,  the  greater  part  numerically  and  spirit- 
ually, was  virtually  neutralized  by  the  false  inter- 
pretation and  teaching  of  Paul's  injunction,  "Let 
your  women  keep  silence  in  the  churches. "  Added 
to  this,  the  worldly-mindedness,  the  strife  after 
wealth  and  place  of  so  many  influential  leaders 
in  .all  the  churches,  what  wonder  that  the  enemy 
took  advantage  of  it,  and  taunted  us  with  our 
lack  of  power,  and  our  failure  to  make  headway 
against  the  increasing  power  of  sin,  and  our  ina- 
bility to  bring  the  world  to  Christ ! 

What  wonder  that  infidels  were  growing  more 
bold  and  defiant  !  It  was  a  natural  consequence 
that  one,  wise  in  his  own  imagination,  should 
stand  forth  and  defy  the  people  of  God,  saying, 
"  Give  us  a  prayer-gauge.  If  your  God  hears 
and  answers  prayer,  give  us  a  test,  and  we  will 
believe  you."  God's  people  seemed  to  be  dumb- 
founded. They  did  know  ;  they  held  the  witness 
deep  in  their  hearts  that  God  is  a  prayer-hear- 
ing and  a  prayer-answering  God.  But  how  to 
answer  this  scoffing  Philistine  they  knew  not. 
Behold  you !  God,  our  God,  from  out  the 
Throne  of  His  ineffable  glory,  answered,  "I  do,  I 
will  hear  and  answer  the  cries  of  my  people." 
"And  to  prove  it  beyond  a  peradventure,  and  for 
all  generations  to  come,  I  will  call  forth  my 
weakest  instruments,  my  hand-maidens,  and  set 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  pi 

them  in  battle  array  against  the  most  powerful 
enemy  of  mankind,  before  whom  strong  men  in 
Church  and  State  cower  in  the  dust.  And  it 
shall  be  unto  them  according  to  their  faith.  I 
will  give  the  enemy  into  their  hand."  "They 
that  trust  in  me  shall  never  be  confounded." 

Lo !  on  every  street  in  all  the  land  were 
seen  frail,  timid  women,  marching  with  bowed 
heads  and  silent  lips,  but  abounding  joy  in 
their  hearts,  carrying  the  word  of  life  into  the 
dark  lurking  places  of  sin  and  crime.  There 
pleading  with  sinners  and  offering  pardon  in  the 
name  of  Jesus  to  the  vilest ;  there  kneeling  and 
crying,  to  God  on  their  behalf;  and  He,  as  in 
the  olden  time,  He  heard  and  answered  when 
His  people  cried  to  Him,  did  hear  and  did  an- 
swer, and  the  enemy  fell  before  them  as  the  leaves 
of  autumn  before  the  wind.  The  world  was 
aroused;  the  infidel  was  answered;  and  the 
end  is  not  yet.  Our  God  is  marching  on.  "  The 
Lord  giveth  the  word ;  the  women  that  publish 
the  tidings  are  a  great  host." 


CHAPTER  V. 


The  Uprising  at  Hillsboro  and  Washington  C.  H. 

r 

R.  LEWIS  delivered  his  lecture  on  "  Our 
Girls,"  at  Hillsboro,  Ohio,  December  22d, 
1873.  At  the  close  of  his  address  he 
announced  that  he  would  speak  to  as  many  as 
would  come  to  hear  him,  on  the  following  night, 
on  temperance ;  and  gave  some  hints  of  a  plan 
which  he  would  explain  and  recommend,  for  a 
campaign  in  the  interest  of  society.  The  follow- 
ing evening,  December  23,  the  Doctor  gave  his 
lecture  and  his  plan  to  a  large  and  enthusiastic 
audience.  He  maintained  that  the  people  of 
Hillsboro  could  close  the  dramshops  in  their  town 
if  the  women  only  had  the  energy,  persistence 
and  true  Christian  spirit.  So  forcibly  did  he 
present  the  subject  that  a  motion  to  put  the  new 
idea  into  execution  was  carried  by  a  rising  vote. 
It  was  his  custom  to  call  secretaries  to  the 
stand  and  have  the  audience  furnish  the  names 
of  ladies  of  standing  and  respectability,  who,  it 
was  presumed,  would  be  willing  to  enter  into  the 
movement,  even  though  they  might  not  at  the 
time  be  at  the  meeting.  In  a  very  short  time 

92 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  93 

the  names  01  seventy-five  ladies  were  enrolled, 
and  a  committee  of  three  ladies,  Mrs.  E.  J. 
Thompson,  Mrs.  P.  J.  Evans  and  Mrs.  E.  L. 
Grand  Girard,  was  appointed  to  write  an  appeal 
to  be  read  to  the  liquor  dealers  by  the  commit- 
tee of  visitation.  At  the  next  morning's  meeting 
the  ladies  put  their  names  to  the  following  com- 
pact: 

"  We,  the  ladies  whose  names  are  hereto 
appended,  agree  and  resolve  with  God's  help 
we  will  stand  by  each  other  in  this  work,  and 
persevere  therein  until  it  is  accomplished,  and 
see  to  it,  as  far  as  our  influence  goes,  that  the 
traffic  shall  never  be  revived." 

Seventy  five  men  at  this  meeting  gave  their 
names  as  moral  and  pecuniary  support  or  back- 
ing to  the  women.  For  the  rest  we  will  let  Mrs. 
Thompson,  the  leader,  tell  her  own  story,  as  she 
does  for  Mrs.  Bolton's  contribution  in  the  Cen- 
tennial Temperance  volume.  She  says : 

I  was  not  present  at  the  lecture,  but  prepared,  as 
those  who  watch  for  the  morning ;  for  the  first  gray 
light  upon  this  dark  night  of  sorrow. 

Few  comments  were  made  in  our  house  upon  the 
new  line  of  policy  till  after  breakfast  the  next  morn- 
ing, whenjust  as  we  gathered  around  the  hearth-stone, 
my  daughter  Mary  said  very  gently,  "  Mother,  will 
you  go  to  the  meeting  this  morning  ?  "  Hesitatingly 
I  replied,  "  I  don't  know  yet  what  I  shall  do."  My 
husband,  fully  appreciating  the  responsibility  of  the 
moment,  said,  "  Children,  let  us  leave  your  mothei 
alone;  for  you  know  where  she  goes  with  all  vexed 
questions;"  and  pointing  to  the  old  family  Bible,  left 
the  room.  The  awful  responsibility  of  the  step  that 
I  must  needs  next  take  was  wonderfully  relieved  by 
thought  of  the  "cloudy  pillar''  and  " parted  waters" 


94  MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

of  the  past;  hence  with  confidence  I  was  about 
turning  my  eyes  of  faith  <i  up  to  the  hills"  from 
whence  had  come  my  help,  when  in  response  to  a 
gentle  tap  at  my  door,  I  met  my  dear  Mary,  who 
with  her  Bible  in  hand  and  tearful  eyes,  said,  "Mother, 
I  opened  to  the  i46th  Psalm,  and  I  believe  it  is  for 
you."  She  withdrew,  and  1  sat  down  to  read  the 
wonderful  message  from  God.  As  I  read  what  I  had 
so  often  read  before,  the  Spirit  so  strongly  "  took  of 
the  things  of  God,"  and  showed  me  new  meanings. 
I  no  longer  hesitated,  but  in  the  strength  thus  imparted 
started  to  the  scene  of  action.  Upon  entering  the 
Church  I  was  startled  to  find  myself  chosen  their 
leader.  The  old  Bible  was  taken  down  from  the 
desk  and  the  i46th  Psalm  read.  Mrs.  General 
McDowell,  by  request,  led  in  prayer,  and  although 
she  had  never  before  heard  her  own  voice  in  public 
prayer,  on  this  occasion  the  "  tongue  of  fire"  sat  upon 
her,  and  all  were  deeply  affected.  Mrs.  Cowden, 
our  Methodist  minister's  wife,  was  then  requested  to 
sing  to  a  familiar  air, 

"  Give  to  the  winds  thy  fears, 

Hope,  and  be  undismayed  ; 
God  hears  thy  sighs  and  counts  thy  tears, 

He  will  lift  up  thy  head." 

While  thus  engaged,  the  women  (seventy  five  in 
number)  fell  into  line,  two  and  two,  and  proceeded 
first  to  the  drug-stores,  and  then  to  the  hotels  and 
saloons.  On  the  first  visit  to  the  drug-stores,  two 
signed  the  pledge  the  ladies  had  prepared  for  drug- 
gists. But  one  of  the  druggists,  a  Dr.  Dunn,  made 
a  show  of  stubborn  resistance  ;  and  at  length  brought 
suit  against  the  ladies  for  "  trespassing  and  obstruct- 
ing his  business." 

While  the  women  here  and  elsewhere  proposed 
to  follow  their  plan  strictly  of  simple  appeal, 
prayer  and  song,  supposing  that  against  such 
warfare  there  could  be  no  law,  they  very  soon 
learned  their  mistake,  and  in  spite  of  themselves 
found  they  were  liable  to  be  arraigned  before  the 


MEMORIES   OF   THE    CRUSADE.  9$ 

courts  to  answer  to  the  charge  of  interfering  with 
the  legitimate  business  of  making  drunkards  and 
destroying  homes.  And  the  further  they  went, 
the  more  complex  and  inexplicable  they  found 
the  laws  pertaining  to  the  liquor  question.  And 
to  their  great  astonishment  they  found,  too,  that 
they  were  largely  in  the  interest  of  the  nefarious 
business. 

The  reporter  of  the  Cincinnati  Gazette  writes 
as  follows  of  the  scene  and  its  effect  on  the  spec- 
tators, upon  the  moving  out  of  the  first  band  : 

On  Christmas  morning,  all  preliminaries  being 
arranged,  one  hundred  and  fifteen  women,  (this 
according  to  Mrs.  Thompson  is  inaccurate),  filed  out 
of  the  church,  formed  a  procession  and  marched  to 
the  drug-stores.  They  went  with  trembling  limbs 
and  anxious  hearts.  It  was  to  them  a  strange  expe- 
rience, a  new  idea.  It  seemed  subversive  of  all 
recognized  rules  of  womanly  conduct.  The  thought 
of  going  into  the  low  part  of  the  town  and  entering 
one  of  those  vile  dens  which  respectable  people 
abhorred  at  a  distance ;  of  kneeling  in  sawdust  and 
filth,  and  pleading  with  bloated  and  beery  saloon- 
keepers, was  overwhelming  to  their  finer  sensibilities 
and  shocking  to  their  modesty.  They  shrank  from 
the  task  half  in  doubt  and  half  in  fear.  But,  again, 
they  thought  of  the  drunkards  that  were  reeling 
home  from  the  saloon  every  night — perhaps  into  their 
families — and  of  the  temptations  that  were  lying  in 
wait  for  their  children  in  the  future.  Their  misgiv- 
ings left  them,  and  personal  considerations  no  longer 
had  any  weight. 

It  was  not  long  till  the  man  Dunn  closed  his 
door  on  them,  and  they,  no  ways  daunted,  went 
on  with  their  prayers  and  songs  in  the  street, 
kneeling,  as  a  reporter  ot  the  scene  says,  ''in  the 
snow."  Finally,  taking  a  hint  from  the  ladies 


96  MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

of  Washington  Court  House,  they  decided  to 
have  a  tabernacle  erected  in  front  of  the  drug- 
store. In  a  few  hours  the  enthusiastic  brethren 
who  were  aiding  and  abetting  these  good  ladies 
had  a  tabernacle  ready,  and  the  women  took  pos- 
session and  went  on  with  their  glorious  work. 
But  their  man  was  not  to  be  circumvented  so 
easily.  A  lawyer  was  called  to  his  aid,  and  the 
ladies  were  arraigned  for  interfering  with  his 
lawful  (?)  business.  A  court  trial  followed,  the 
case  was  argued  at  length,  pro  and  con.  The 
temporary  injunction  was  dissolved  on  some  tech- 
nicality. The  case  was  next  appealed  to  the 
District  Court,  but  nothing  finally  came  of  it,  I 
believe. 

I  happen  to  find  among  my  papers  a  copy  of 
the  Fayette  County  Herald,  a  weekly  paper  pub- 
lished in  Washington  C.  H.,  being  the  next  issue 
after  the  women  started  their  work  there.  The 
headlines  are  duly  sensational. 

"THE  BALL  OPENED! 
"A   DETACHMENT  OF   WOMEN  MARCHING  THE 

STREETS  OF  WASHINGTON  ! 
"  PRAYER  AND  SINGING  IN  THE  SALOONS  ! 
"A  PRAYER  MEETING  SEVEN  HOURS  LONG,  ETC  ! 
"  LIQUOR  EMPTIED  INTO  THE  STREETS  !  " 

After  giving  an  account  of  Dr.  Lewis'  lecture 
and  the  proceedings  of  the  meeting,  similar  to 
that  at  Hillsboro,  the  report  proceeds : 

On  motion  of  Dr.  Lewis,  a  committee  of  ladies 
was  appointed  to  draw  up  an  appeal  to  our  citizens 
engaged  in  the  liquor  business.  The  Chair  appointed 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  97 

Mrs.  George  Carpenter,  Mrs.  A.  C.  Hurst,  Mrs.  E. 
A.  Pine,  to  serve  on  this  committee;  Mrs.  R.  Ogle 
was  then  added  to  this  committee  of  appeal. 

The  Chairman  of  this  committee,  Mrs.  M.  J.  Car- 
penter, who  drafted  the  appeal,  is  a  daughter  of  one 
of  Ohio's  most  famous  pioneer  Methodist  preachers, 
Rev.  James  G  ilruth,  a  man  noted  for  great  courage  and 
energy,  as  well  as  flaming  oratory.  No  doubt  to  these 
inherited  traits  of  character  was  due  the  indomitable 
energy  and  zeal  that  so  fitted  her  for  a  leader,  and 
resulted  in  giving  to  Washington  the  honor  of  being 
the  first  town  that  closed  out  the  saloons  in  the 
Crusade. 

Closing  appeals  of  stirring  power  were  made  by 
Dr.  Lewis  and  Rev.  A.  C.  Hurst,  and  after  a  vote  of 
thanks  to  Dr.  Lewis  for  his  work  among  us,  the  meet- 
ing adjourned  to  meet  in  the  Methodist  Church  and 
hear  the  report  of  the  committee  appointed. 

The  meeting  Thursday  evening  was  one  of  deep 
interest  and  feeling.  After  prayer  and  singing,  the 
committee  on  appeal  presented  the  following  for 
adoption : 

APPEAL. 

"  Knowing  as  you  do,  the  fearful  effects  of  intoxicat- 
ing drinks,  we,  the  women  of  Washington,  after 
earnest  prayer  and  deliberation,  have  decided  to 
appeal  to  you  to  desist  from  this  ruinous  traffic,  that 
our  husbands  and  sons  be  no  longer  exposed  to  this 
terrible  temptation,  and  that  we  may  no  longer  see 
them  led  into  those  paths  that  go  down  to  ruin,  and 
bring,  both  soul  and  body  to  destruction. 

"  VVe  appeal  to  the  better  instincts  of  your  hearts  in 
the  name  of  desolated  homes,  blasted  hopes,  ruined 
lives,  widowed  hearts ;  for  the  honor  of  our  commu- 
nity; for  our  prosperity;  for  our  happiness;  for  our 
good  name  as  a  town;  in  the  name  of  God, who  will 
judge  you.  as  well  as  ourselves;  for  the  sake  of  your 
souls,  which  are  to  be  saved  or  lost,  we  beg,  we 
implore  you  to  cleanse  yourselves  from  this  heinous 
sin,  and  place  yourselves  in  the  ranks  of  those  who 
are  striving  to  elevate  and  ennoble  themselves  and 
their  fellow-men  ;  and  to  this  we  ask  you  to  pledge 
yourselves." 

After  twice  reading,  the  appeal  was  adopted,  and 

ft 


98  MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

many  prayers  and  earnest  words  uttered,  and  the 
meeting  adjourned  to  meet  Friday  morning  in  the  M. 
E.  Church,  at  9:30  o'clock,  December  26th,  1873. 

Meeting  met  pursuant  to  adjournment,  in  the  M. 
E.  Church. 

Services  opened  by  singing  and  prayer,  and  reading 
of  the  Scriptures.  One  hundred  copies  of  the  appeal 
to  be  presented  to  the  dealers  in  intoxicating  drinks 
were  ordered  printed  and  circulated  throughout  the 
community.  Mr.  John  S.  Foster  and  Mr.  Allen  Hegler 
were  appointed  to  attend  to  the  business. 

After  a  call  for  volunteers,  and  responses  by  many 
additional  names,  Mrs.  J.  L.  Van  Deman  and  Mrs. 
D.  McLean  were  appointed  to  lead  the  procession, 
and  Mrs.  George  Carpenter  was  appointed  Captain 
and  reader  of  the  appeal.  Mrs.  A.  E.  Pine  was 
elected  to  lead  the  singing. 

Now  came  the  most  interesting  movement  of  this 
meeting.  More  than  forty  of  our  best  women  in  the 
community  were  to  go  forth  on  their  errand  of  mercy. 
There  was  much  trembling  of  heart,  much  taking 
hold  of  God,  much  crying  and  supplication  in  prayer. 
Such  a  scene  was  never  witnessed  in  Washington. 

Down  the  central  aisle  of  the  church  marched 
these  women  to  their  work,  while  the  brethren  con- 
tinued in  prayer  to  Almighty  God,  that  he  would  be 
with  these  people  as  they  go  from  place  to  place  with 
Christian  song  and  prayer,  to  appeal  face  to  face  in 
their  various  places  of  business,  to  those  men  who 
are  at  work  selling  liquor. 

At  one  place  they  were  met  with  a  "  God  bless  you, 
ladies,"  and  an  immediate  signing  of  the  appeal. 

Thirteen  places  in  all  were  visited,  with  the  proprie- 
tors of  which  the  following  exercises  were  held: 

i.  Singing;  2.  Prayer;  3.  Singing;  4.  Prayer; 
5.  Reading  of  appeal;  6.  Promise  to  call  again. 

The  novel  procession  created  the  wildest  excite- 
ment on  the  streets,  and  was  the  subject  of  conver- 
sation to  the  exclusion  of  all  other  subjects. 

The  work  of  the  ladies  was  thoroughly  done.  Not 
a  den  escaped.  Into  the  front  door,  filling  the  front 
room  and  back  room  too.  Prayer,  followed  by  Bible 
arguments  in  answer  to  the  excuses  of  men.  Down 
into  the  cellar,  everywhere  they  go  with  the  same 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 


99 


eloquent  plea:  "  We  pray  you,  stop  this;  we  mean 
you  no  harm,  we  beg  you  to  desist."  In  tears  the 
mothers,  wives  and  sisters  plead  their  cause  till  late 
in  the  afternoon.  The  result  seemed  to  be  meagre 
for  the  first  day's  work,  but  to  every  stubborn  will 
was  kindly  given  the  promise,  "  We  will  call  again 
to-morrow."  At  one  place  the  front  door  was  locked, 
but  afterwards  opened  and  an  entrance  gained. 

At  the  evening  meeting  in  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
a  report  in  detail  was  given  by  the  Secretary  of  the 
ladies,  Miss  T.  M.  Ustic,  and  with  much  prayer  and 
singing,  a  meeting  was  appointed  for  Saturday  morn- 
ing in  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

Saturday  morning,  though  a  very  inclement  one 
and  one  unusually  busy  to  most  women  with  families, 
a  large  number  of  ladies  met  in  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  and  after  some  consultation  it  was  decided 
to  prepare  two  pledges,  one  to  be  presented  to  the 
druggists  and  the  other  to  the  dram-sellers.  After 
much  earnest  consecration  to  the  work,  began  one  of 
the  most  remarkable  days  ever  seen  in  the  town.  It 
was  agreed  that  the  brethren  would  stay  in  the  Church 
and  pray  for  God's  blessing  on  the  ladies,  so  long  as 
they  were  on  their  mission  ;  and  that  they  might  know 
that  we  were  at  work,  the  great  bell  at  the  church 
tolled  out  at  the  close  of  every  prayer.  This  prayer- 
meeting  continued  for  seven  hours. 

Saturday  evening  a  meeting  was  held  at  the  M.  E. 
Church,  and  stirring  addresses  were  made,  and  a 
grand  union  meeting  of  all  the  churches  arranged  for 
Sabbath-day. 

Sunday  morning  a  large  audience  assembled  in  the 
M.  E.  Church,  and  was  addressed  by  Rev.  A.  C. 
Hurst,  Rev.  George  Carpenter  and  Mr.  Armstrong. 
In  the  evening  the  meeting  was  presided  over  by  Mr. 
P.  C.  Morehouse,  and  addressed  by  Messrs.  Gardner, 
Pine,  Ustic  and  Rev.  A.  C.  Hurst. 

Monday,  December  29th,  1873.  —  Promptly  at  9 
A.  M.,  a  still  larger  attendance  at  the  Presbyterian 
Church  announced  that  the  enthusiasm  was  still  on 
the  increase.  Singing  and  prayer  and  a  total  absti- 
nence pledge  from  beer,  wine,  cider  and  all  intoxi- 
cants, were  the  ^rder.  This  pledge  was  freely  circu- 
Inted  through  the  day,  and  large  numbers  enrolled 
their  names. 


IOO  MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE. 

The  ladies  were  kindly  invited  to  dine  at  the  Fire- 
man's Hall,  and  after  a  substantial  lunch,  the  line  of 
march  was  taken  up  to  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
where  they  were  joined  by  the  gentlemen,  and  a 
straight  course  taken  for  the  establishment  of  Messrs. 
Anderson  &  Keller,  all  the  bells  in  town  pealing  out 
a  grand  anthem  of  praise,  a  glad  music  for  such  an 
occasion.  On  arriving  at  the  place  of  meeting,  the 
following  order  of  exercises  was  carried  out. 

i,  Singing;  2,  Prayer  by  Rev.  A.  C.  Hurst; 
3.  Singing;  4.  Rolling  out  of  whisky  barrels; 
5.  Pouring  out  of  liquor. 

An  ax  was  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  women  who 
had  suffered  most,  and  swinging  through  the  air  came 
down  with  ringing  blows,  bursting  the  heads  and 
flooding  the  gutters  of  the  street.  One  good  woman 
putting  her  soul  into  every  blow,  struck  but  once  for 
a  barrel,  splashing  Holland  gin  and  old  Bourbon  high 
into  the  air,  amid  the  shouts  of  the  immense  multi- 
tudes. Four  casks  and  one  barrel  were  forced  open, 
and  the  proprietors  all  the  time  giving  a  hearty  con- 
sent. As  the  last  cask  was  opened,  Mr.  Anderson 
made  a  ringing  speech,  followed  by  three  cheers  for 
King  David  Anderson.  Then  Mr.  Keller  mounted 
a  cask  and  made  a  similar  speech,  followed  by  three 
cheers  for  Keller.  After  a  prayer  by  Rev.  George 
Carpenter,  the  multitude  quietly  dispersed. 

The  temperance  meeting  on  Monday  was  fairly  red- 
hot  with  enthusiasm.  The  report  of  the  committee 
of  visitation  was  read  and  the  temperance  pledge 
signed  by  a  large  number  of  men  and  boys.  Such 
singing,  hearty  applause,  cries  of  "good,  good  "  were 
never  before  heard  in  Washington. 

Mr.  Anderson  and  Mr.  Keller  were  present  and 
addressed  the  audience  with  much  earnestness  and 
the  best  of  feeling. 

Following  this  thrilling  report  is  an  account 
of  a  poor  lad,  who,  in  a  written  appeal  to  the 
ladies,  told  that  he  was  at  work  in  a  saloon  ;  he 
would  be  glad  to  get  out  and  go  to  school,  but 
had  to  work  for  his  own  support.  At  once  a  call 
was  made  for  pledges  of  help,  and  resulted  in 


MKMORIES    OF    THE    CKD^ADK'  •  O I 

promises  to  board  and  assist  for  twelve  months. 
Again  the  report  of  work  proceeds  : 

Tuesday  morning,  more  than  ever  before  met  in 
the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  after  an  hour's  prayer, 
singing  and  conference,  they  started  on  the  fourth 
day's  round.  Prayer-meeting  was  held  all  morning, 
till  a  messenger  announced  victory  number  two. 
Anthony  Abbot  had  signed  the  pledge  and  was  will- 
ing to  pour  out  his  liquor.  Again  the  bells  pealed 
forth  the  "glad  tidings  of  great  joy,"  and  again  the 
services  of  song  and  prayer  began  : 

i.  Prayer  by  Rev.  George  Carpenter ;  2.  Rolling 
out  of  barrels;  3.  Ax  application  to  barrel  heads; 
4.  Fire  application  to  old  Bourbon;  5.  Cheers  by  the 
multitude. 

All  this  was  done  with  the  greatest  magnanimity 
and  enthusiasm.  A  stream  of  **  mixed  drinks," 
whisky,  gin,  port  wine,  brandy,  etc.,  in  one  steady 
stream  on  its  way  to  Paint  Creek.  After  a  speech  by 
Anthony  Abbot,  who  announced  his  intention  to  start 
a  grocery,  and  hoped  the  people  of  Washington 
would  patronize  him  a  little,  the  doxology  was  sung, 
and  the  crowd  quietly  dispersed." 

I  have  given  this  very  extended  report  of  the 
beginning  of  this  wonderful  prayer  movement, 
because  it  presents  very  cleat  ly  not  only  the 
method  adopted,  but  the  spirit  actuating  those 
who  entered  into  it,  as  also  the  feeling  of  very 
many  who  signed  the  dealer's  pledge,  and  tolled 
out  their  liquors  to  be  emptied  into  the  gutter. 

I  have  found  that  it  has  been  almost  impossible 
for  people  at  a  distance  from  the  scene  of  this 
marvelous  uprising  to  understand  it.  And  it 
indeed  seems  that  one  not  in  the  atmosphere,  a 
looker-on,  can  hardly  comprehend  it.  It  was 
entirely  unlike  any  other  Christian  effort  of  which 
the  world  has  ever  known.  Persons  at  a  distance, 


MEMORES  OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

judging  from  their  knowledge  of  the  liquor  busi- 
ness, the  men  engaged  in  it,  and  the  method  of 
conducting  it,  can  not  comprehend  what  influ- 
ence, unless  it  were  mob  violence  or  terrorizing, 
could  induce  them  to  yield  up  their  property  to 
be  destroyed  before  their  eyes,  without  resistance. 
And  in  many  quarters,  even  to-day,  the  impres- 
sion still  prevails  that  the  "  Women's  Whisky 
War, "  was  a  sort  of  spontaneous  outburst  of  the 
class  of  lowly  and  poor  women,  who  by  their 
sufferings  and  abuse  from  drunken  husbands  had 
been  wrought  up  to  a  pitch  of  frenzy  and  fury  that 
swept  them  headlong  into  the  wildest  excesses. 
In  many  quarters  I  have  been  told  that  ' '  We 
here  have  a  prejudice  against  the  Crusade ;  "  or, 
"  Our  women  could  not  do  that  kind  of  work  ;  " 
"  We  are  different  here  from  you  Western 
women ; "  ' f  Oh,  we  here  are  very  conservative. ' ' 
Very  often  have  I  had  to  vindicate  my  Crusade 
sisters  from  these  false  impressions.  In  the  East 
it  was  supposed  that  because  of  our  Western 
life — as  the  dear  good  friends  imagined  on  the 
borders  of  civilization — we  were  not  under  the 
decorous  restraints  of  more  cultured  and  refined 
society  farther  east. 

In  the  South,  as  it  had  always  been  presumed 
that  Southern  ladies  were  much  more  soft  and 
gentle,  as  well  as  retiring  in  their  manners,  it  was 
not  so  very  surprising  to  them  to  hear  that  our 
women  were  "out  thronging  the  streets  and 
crowding  into  the  liquor  groceries  and  arguing 
with  the  men  over  their  business;  "  though  of 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  IO3 

course  it  was  very  shocking,  and  they  could  only 
give  their  unqualified  censure  and  disapproval  to 
such  unlady-like  conduct. 

I  was  careful  not  to  refer  to  the  Crusade  work 
in  my  lectures  in  the  South,  as  I  did  not  desire 
to  antagonize  the  women  against  such  work  as  I 
hoped  to  induce  them  to  take  up.  But  at  length 
ladies  would  become  anxious  to  hear  about  that 
strange  work.  And  as  I  have  told  them  of  the 
wonderful  baptism  that  came  down  upon  the 
women  and  carried  them  out  of  themselves  up 
into  a  holier  atmosphere  than  they  had  ever  known 
or  dreamed  of  before,  enabling  them  to  overcome 
their  shrinking  and  timidity  and  go  out  joyfully 
to  offer  the  gospel  of  pardon  and  peace  to  the 
lowest  class  of  men  in  the  land,  on  condition  of 
repentance  and  giving  up  their  murderous  busi- 
ness, how  the  tears  would  rain  down  their  cheeks, 
and  how  they  would  beg,  "  Oh,  tell  us  more, 
tell  us  more." 

In  England,  also,  the  impression  had  been 
received  through  some  of  our  American  papers, 
especially  New  York  papers,  that  were  either  the 
organs  of  the  liquor  trade,  or  for  political  or 
money  considerations,  sympathizers,  that  it  was 
the  lower  class  of  women,  armed  with  whatever 
weapons  they  could  get  hold  of,  were  making  a 
war  of  extermination  upon  the  "  public  houses" 
and  "  licensed  victualers'  "  establishments.  Such 
a  scene  as  they  had  pictured  of  our  holy  war,  and 
conducted  by  the  class  they  supposed  —  a  class 
that  we  do  not  see,  as  a  class,  in  our  smaller 


I 

IO4  MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

towns  in  this  country,  or  scarcely  in  our  cities 
away  form  the  seaboard,  certainly  not  in  such 
numbers  as  to  move  by  concerted  action  on  the 
streets — would  be  a  terror  indeed. 

Even  many  of  the  temperance  friends  were 
only  undeceived  by  my  explanation  of  the  work 
and  the  women  engaged  in  it.  It  was  worth 
everything  for  my  vindication  that  I  could  say 
that  the  leader  of  the  first  band  of  Crusaders  that 
moved  out  in  Ohio  was  the  daughter  of  one  of 
our  Governors  ;  that  ladies  oi  the  highest  station, 
as  also  of  deep  piety  and  respectability,  were 
leaders  and  constant,  earnest  workers;  that  I 
had  led  out  a  Governor's  wife,  wives  of  Judges, 
Congressmen,  State  Legislators  and  of  noted 
Divines. 


CHAPTER  VI 


Fermented  Wine — Springfield  Organization. 

ft 

*UR  third  mass-meeting  in  Springfield  was 
held  on  December  24th,  and  in  this  meet- 
ing came  from  one  of  the  speakers,  a 
minister,  the  first  inkling  of  politics.  The  gen- 
tleman took  occasion  to  refer  in  severe  terms  to 
the  Prohibitionists  and  Democrats,  and  sought  to 
prove  that  the  Republican  party  was  a  prohibition 
party.  His  remarks,  however,  were  met  at  once, 
on  the  part  of  several  gentlemen,  by  a  strong 
disclaimer  of  any  partisan  intent,  but  asking 
the  aid  and  co-operation  of  all  parties. 

The  fourth  public  meeting  was  held  on  the  3Oth 
of  December,  with  no  abatement  of  numbers  or 
interest,  Mrs.  M.  W.  Baines  being  the  main 
speaker.  And  here  was  made  the  first  attack 
upon  fermented  wine  at  the  Lord's  table.  Mrs. 
Baines  had  seen  the  disastrous  results  of  present- 
ing this  "  cup  of  devils"  to  the  man  struggling 
with  his  appetite  for  strong  drink. 

She  spoke  her  sentiments  fearlessly  and  with 
feeling.  But  while  she  was  admitted  to  be  a 
lady  of  ability,  she  was  not  at  that  time  a  pro- 
fessor of  religion.  And  the  blind,  not  able  to  dis- 
cern the  truth,  at  once  took  great  alarm.  Here 

105 


IO6  MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

was  a  woman,  not  a  professor  of  religion,  attack- 
ing the  sacred  ordinance  of  the  Lord's  Supper, 
Not  a  little  agitation  was  caused. 

Some  time  after  this,  she  was  called  to  Zanes- 
ville  to  lecture,  and  here  again  declared  her 
views  on  the  subject.  The  city  papers  took  up 
the  matter  and  rated  her  in  no  measured  terms 
for  presuming  to  attack  the  holy  ordinance.  It 
was  sacrilegious.  People  did  not  at  that  time 
seem  to  be  able  to  distinguish  between  a  condem- 
nation of  a  great  wrong  in  the  ordinance  and  con- 
demnation of  the  ordinance  itself.  The  agitation 
of  this  subject  of  sacramental  wine  originated  in 
Springfield,  and  was  brought  up  in  our  State 
Convention  some  months  later  by  our  Brother 
Spring,  a  report  of  which  will  be  found  in  its 
proper  place. 

These  items,  which  may  seem  rather  trivial 
to  the  reader,  do  serve  as  indices  of  our  growth, 
and  as  such  I  give  them.  And  this  reminds  me 
that  at  our  first  National  Convention,  held  at 
Cleveland,  a  member  of  our  committee  on  '  'Ap- 
peal and  Plan  of  Work,"  presented  a  resolution 
in  committee,  praying  physicians  not  to  use 
alcoholic  liquors  in  treating  our  sick,  saying  we 
had  rather  they  should  die  sober  than  live 
drunkards.  This  was  suggested  to  her  mind  by 
discovering  that  her  family  physician — a  home- 
opathist — had  been  administering  alcoholic  stim- 
ulants to  her  only  son,  who  was  in  ill  health. 
While  we  were  in  warm  sympathy  with  her,  we 
were  sure  the  sisters  would  not  entertain  such  a 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  IO/ 

resolution.  We  advised  her  instead  of  our  incor- 
porating it  in  the  report,  to  submit  it  as  her  own 
to  the  Convention  ;  and  she  did,  but  it  was  at 
once  tabled  as  too  extremely  "radical."  I  did 
not  know,  however,  that  the  accustomed  bearer 
of  dispatches  to  the  wilderness  was  credited  with 
this  additional  sin  till  I  saw  in  the  next  day's 
paper  an  item  from  dear  Miss  Willard  saying, 
"  Mother  Stewart  was  not  the  author  of  the  ob- 
jectionable resolution. " 

The  Springfield  Republic  of  January  7,  1874, 
gives  the  following  report : 

WOMEN'S   TEMPERANCE   ASSOCIATION — ORGANIZA- 
TION OF  A  NEW  SOCIETY — PLAN  OF  OPERA- 
TION— OFFICERS,  ETC. 

This  meeting  was  held  in  the  First  Presbyterian 
Church,  immediately  after  the  union  prayer  meeting 
was  closed,  Wednesday  morning.  The  meeting  was 
called  to  order  by  electing  Rev.  J.  W.  Spring  to  the 
Chair.  The  Chair  then  stated  the  object  of  the  meet- 
ing ;  that  the  ladies  of  Springfield  organize  them- 
selves into  an  association,  and  work  upon  some  defi- 
nite plan  that  they  may  deem  best.  Mrs.  E.  D. 
Stewart  then  stepped  to  the  front  and  made  a 
neat,  pointed  speech,  in  which  she  enlightened  her 
sisters  on  their  duties  to  God  and  humanity.  No, 
she  rather  urged  upon  them  what  they  already  saw 
was  so  very  necessary  ;  then  presented  the  report 
of  the  committee  to  which  this  matter  had  been  re- 
ferred. 

COMMITTEE'S  REPORT. 

Your  committee  would  recommend  the  following 
plan:  That  the  ladies  call  a  meeting  to  organize  a 
temperance  association  and  elect  a  President,  Treas- 
urer, Secretary  and  one  Vice  President  from  each 
ward,  and  that  these  officers  constitute  an  executive 
committee,  whose  duty  it  shall  be  to  provide  work 


108  MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

for  sub-committees  whom  they  shall  appoint  for  each 
ward,  each  ward  to  be  divided  into  districts,  and  a 
committee  for  each  district  appointed,  whose  duty  it 
shall  be  to  circulate  books  provided  with  the  head- 
ings herewith  submitted,  one  for  the  raising  of  money 
and  the  other  a  pledge  for  co-operation. 

These  committees  shall  raise  all  the  money  they 
can,  and  get  all  to  sign  the  pledge  of  co-operation  ; 
and  also,  electioneer  for  the  temperance  cause,  see 
all  the  men  they  can,  and  when  they  cannot  see  the 
men,  get  their  wives  and  daughters  to  join  them  in 
the  work  of  inducing  their  husbands,  sons  and  broth- 
ers to  join  in  the  work  of  electing  officers  who  will 
pass  a  prohibitory  law,  and  carry  out  the  law  to  the 
letter.  Also  let  this  executive  committee  of  women 
call  in  such  of  our  business  men  as  they  choose  to 
select  as  an  advisory  committee,  to  meet  them  from 
time  to  time  in  their  meetings. 

Let  the  great  work  now  be  to  elect  at  our  spring 
election  men  who  will  pass  a  prohibitory  law,  and 
if  we  fail  in  this  measure,  fall  back  on  any  other  plan 
thought  to  be  most  advisable,  and  prosecute  the  work 
till  the  next  election.  We  deem  it  important  to  keep 
this  work  in  the  hands  of  the  women  of  our  city.  Let 
them  continue,  as  they  have  begun  the  work,  to  be 
the  prominent  characters  in  the  movement.  Also  let 
a  committee  of  men  be  appointed  whose  duty  it 
shall  be  to  visit  the  pastors  of  the  African  Churches, 
the  German  and  the  Catholic,  and  get  them  en- 
listed to  use  their  efforts  toward  the  suppression  of  the 
evil. 

WM.   A.  BARNETT,  ") 

CHAS.  RABBITTS,       >•  Committee. 

E.  C.  MIDBLETON,   j 

Your  committee  recommend  the  following  as  the 
headings  for  the  subscription  and  pledge  : 

11  We,  the  undersigned,  agree  to  pay  the  sum  an- 
nexed to  our  names  monthly  for  one  year  from  Jan- 
uary ist,  1874,  to  the  Treasurer  of  the  Ladies'  Tem- 
perance Association  of  Springfield,  to  be  applied  for 
meeting  the  expenses  attending  their  action  in  the 
suppression  of  the  liquor  traffic  in  the  city  of  Spring- 
field. 


MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE.  I  Op 

"We  the  undersigned,  without  respect  to  creed  or 
party,  agree  to  unite  for  the  suppression  of  the  liquor 
traffics  Springfield,  O. 

"  And  for  this  end,  in  connection  with  all  other 
justifiable  and  practical  means,  hereby  pledge  our- 
selves to  vote  for  such  men  only  to  fill  all  municipal 
offices  at  our  coming  Spring  election  whose  position 
is  unmistakable  in  favor  of  Temperance  Laws  and 
ftiKXt  faithful  and  impartial  execution,  and  who  will  do 
all  in  their  power,  if  elected,  to  bring  about  this  much- 
desired  reform." 

After  reading  the  above,  which  was  unanimously 
adopted,  the  meeting  went  in  to  an  election  of  officers, 
which  resulted  in  the  following  election  : 

President,  Mrs.  E.  D.  Stewart ;  Vice  Presidents, 
ist  ward,  Mrs.  Wm.  A.  Barnett ;  2nd  ward,  Mrs.  Dr. 
Teegarden;  3d  ward,  Mrs,  Thos.  Finch ;  4th  ward, 
Mrs.  John  Foos ;  5th  ward,  Mrs.  Jas.  Kinney  ;  Sec- 
retary, Mrs.  J.  A.  S.  Guy;  Treasurer,  Mrs.  S.  W. 
Cathcart.  It  was  thought  best  by  the  meeting  to  have 
an  Advisory  Committee  of  gentlemen,  and  the  fol- 
lowing persons  were  elected :  Wm.  A.  Barnett,  E. 
C.  Middleton,  Chas.  Rabbitts,  Rev.  J.  W.  Spring, 
P.  P.  Mast. 

There  were  said  many  good  things  during  the  talk, 
but  this  is  about  as  good  as  any.  A  speaker  said 
that  gentlemen  kept  saying  to  her,  "The  women  are 
doing  a  noble  work,  and  doing  just  what  they  ought 
to  do,"  and  they  said  this  without  blushing  too.  But 
is  it  the  women's  work  ?  No,  it  is  the  men's,  and 
they  know  it,  and  they  could  crush  intemperance  out 
without  our  aid  if  they  would ;  but  we  women  intend 
to  set  them  an  example,  and  by  God's  help  and  united 
effort  we  will  succeed. 

I  am  happy  to  record  that  the  ladies  who  were 
on  that  morning  elected  as  my  co-workers  and 
counselors  were  in  truth  "  elect  ladies, "  certainly 
no  one  in  all  the  campaign  was  more  highly 
favored.  Always  ready  both  to  give  advice  and 
to  second  any  suggestion  for  the  advancement  of 
our  work. 


IIO  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

I  trust  it  may  not  seem  a  discrimination  when 
I  mention  the  names  especially  of  our  Secretary, 
Mrs.  Guy,  our  Treasurer,  Mrs.  Cathcart,  and 
Mrs.  Foos,  as  I  was  brought  into  closest  asso- 
ciation with  them,  and  I  am  glad  to  say  in  all 
these  following  years  they  have  maintained  their 
places  as  my  discreet  advisors  and  warm  friends. 
This  was  the  second  regularly  organized  society  in 
Ohio,  the  first  as  already  mentioned  being  formed 
at  Osborn.  We  adopted  a  constitution  similar 
to  that  of  the  ladies  of  Osborn. 

The  Cincinnati  Gazette  of  the  next  day,  in  a 
report  of  this  organization  says,  ' '  All  the  ladies 
who  belong  to  this  organization  have  great  influ- 
ence in  the  city." 

Our  Temperance  agitation  had  begun  to  at- 
tract visitors  from  abroad.  Among  these  was  a 
Mr.  S.  M.  Douglass,  then  of  Columbus,  now  of 
Rochester,  N.  Y.,  a  zealous  temperance  man. 
He  was  so  stirred  up  by  attending  some  of  our 
meetings  and  witnessing  our  work,  that  upon  re- 
turning home  he  induced  his  Lodge  of  Good 
Templars  to  send  for  me.  I  went  over  on  the 
8th  of  January.  That  morning  and  ride  are  a 
memory  apart.  A  heavy  sleet  had  fallen  and 
covered  every  tree  and  shrub  and  plant  and 
spear  of  dead  grass  with  an  incrustation  of 
fretted  silver,  and  from  everything  hung  myriads 
of  glittering  gems  that  reflected  the  sun  as  it  struck 
them  in  all  the  rays  of  the  rainbow  or  of  all 
precious  stones.  But,  like  all  earthly  riches  and 
beauty,  so  evanescent,  even  while  you  looked 


MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE.  Ill 

and  admired  they  melted  and  faded  away.  And 
I  also  remember  that  the  pleasure  of  the  ride  was 
greatly  enhanced  by  the  company  of  Capt.  and 
Mrs.  Hall,  of  Connecticut,  who  were  returning 
after  a  visit  to  friends  in  our  city. 

The  Captain  told  me  he  had  followed  the  sea 
for  thirty  years,  sailing  around  the  world  and 
into  almost  every  port  in  it,  without  touching  a 
glass  of  anything  that  would  intoxicate.  But 
what  use  of  his  telling  it  ?  His  very  presence 
proclaimed  him  a  gentleman  of  correct  habits 
and  pure  life,  a  true  gentleman.  An  active, 
vigorous  man,  though  well  advanced  in  years, 
with  the  complexion  of  a  young  girl.  The  life, 
whether  good  or  ill,  makes  its  record  and  leaves 
its  indelible  marks  on  the  man  whether  he  will 
or  no. 

From  the  Columbus  State  Journal,  January  9, 
1874,  I  copy  the  following  report: 

MOTHER  STEWART  IN  COLUMBUS. 

Mrs.  E.  D.  Stewart  addressed  an  audience  in  Ses- 
sions' Hall,  on  Thursday  evening, 8th  inst. ,  which  was 
one  of  the  largest  and  most  enthusiastic  temperance 
meetings  ever  held  in  the  city,  and  the  relation  of  her 
experience  as  a  spy  in  a  saloon  on  Sunday  was  really 
exciting.  At  the  close  of  her  lecture  she  called  on  the 
ladies  of  the  audience  who  were  willing  to  take  an 
active  part  in  pushing  forward  the  work  of  temper- 
ance to  stand  up,  which  was  responded  to  by  all. 
The  gentlemen  were  then  invited  in  the  same  manner, 
and  a  general  rise  was  the  result.  Mrs.  Stewart 
seemed  surprised  at  this,  and  remarked  that  if  they 
had  the  women  of  Springfield  with  the  men  of  Colum- 
bus, "noble  work  could  be  accomplished."  This  was 
the  first  note  sounded  in  Columbus  of  the  glorious 
work  that  was  soon  to  occupy  all  minds  and  hearts 


112  MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

of  the  women  here,  as  everywhere  else  over  the  State. 
Only  a  few  weeks  later,  at  Columbus,  was  held  the 
grandest  and  most  enthusiastic  meeting  ever  held  in 
the  State  up  to  that  time,  but  only  to  be  followed  by 
others  like  to  it,  in  other  places,  as  the  work  ad- 
vanced. 

A  foul  murder,  committed  on  the  1 2th  of  January, 
in  one  of  the  murder-mills  of  our  city,  by  the  keeper 
and  his  wife,  on  one  of  their  victims,  served  to  greatly 
swell  the  temperance  tide,  which  was  steadily  on  the 
rise. 

We  had  by  this  time  established  our  morning  tem- 
perance prayer-meeting, — the  meetings  of  the  "  week 
of  prayer  "  merging  into  our  temperance  prayer-meet- 
ings, an  account  of  one  of  which  I  clip  from  the  Re- 
public of  January  i2th  inst.  As  these  reports  give 
the  status  of  the  work  and  the  sentiment  of  the 
workers  quite  as  well  as  I  could,  I  prefer  to  copy 
from  them. 

"The  prayer-meeting  this  morning  (Monday)  at  the 
First  Presbyterian  church  was  fully  attended.  Rev. 
Mr.  Spring,  in  opening  the  meeting,  suggested  that  if 
the  men  engaged  in  the  soul-destroying  business  of 
dram-selling  would  abandon  it,  every  encourage- 
ment would  be  given  them  by  the  community  in  any 
legitimate  calling. 

Rev.  Dr.  Clokey  followed  by  prayer  and  remarks, 
in  which  he  compared  the  mission  of  the  praying 
people  of  Springfield  to  that  on  which  Christ  sent  his 
apostles,  when  their  peace  should  abide  on  those  who 
received  them,  but  the  dust  should  be  shaken  from 
their  feet  as  a  testimonial  against  those  who  rejected 
them. 

Mr.  Middleton  followed  with  specific  objects  of 
prayer,  especially  for  the  keeper  of  the  saloon  where 
the  murder  was  committed,  and  for  the  keeper  of  the 
saloon  in  our  most  respectable  hotel,  that  the  hearts 
.of  these  men  who  were  dragging  to  destruction  so 
many  of  our  young  men  might  be  converted  from 
the  error  of  their  ways.  He  also  prayed  fervently 
for  the  newly-elected  directors  of  the  Lagonda  House, 
that  they  might  be  led  to  do  the  right.  (In  regard  to 
the  saloon  in  the  building.) 

Mr.  T.  J.  Finch  said  he  thought  a  .proper  object  of 


J 


MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE.  113 

prayer  was  the  young  men  who  were  on  the  down- 
ward road.  He  knew  there  were  fathers  and  mothers 
at  that  meeting  whose  sons  were  reeling  in  the 
streets,  and  yet  they  were  unconscious  that  they 
drank. 

J.  W.  Jarrett  said  he  started  this  morning  to  invite 
a  saloon-keeper  to  this  prayer-meeting.  He  met  him 
on  the  way  and  found  him  very  willing  to  talk  with 
him  on  the  subject,  and  although  he  declined  to  come 
to  the  meeting,  he  asked  that  the  meeting  would 
pray  for  him.  That  saloon-keeper  was  Mr.  Wm. 
Stubbee. 

The  hymn  commencing"Show  pity,  Lord,  "etc.,  was 
sung,  followed  by  prayer  by  Dr.  McKnight, who  earn- 
estly prayed  the  Lord  to  give  Christians  the  necessary 
faith  that  even  this  man  might  be  converted  and  re- 
claimed. 

Rev.  Mr.  Hamma  was  glad  to  hear  this  turn  of  the 
movement.  While  he  was  in  favor  of  the  law,  he 
was  also  in  favor  of  the  Gospel, — the  Gospel  of  love. 
What  we  were,  more  than  the  liquor-sellers  of  Spring- 
field, was  by  the  grace  of  God. 

Rev.  Mr.  Bennet,  in  his  prayer,  referred  to  Christ 
mingling  with  wine-bibbers  until  he  was  called  one, 
and  that  it  was  our  mission  to  labor  for  their  reforma- 
tion. 

Mother  Stewart  made  a  speech  in  a  voice  trem- 
bling with  emotion.  She  said  she  thanked  God  that 
one  saloon-keeper  had  been  touched,  and  hoped 
that  he  would  forever  renounce  his  nefarious  busi- 
ness. Good  news  for  the  temperance  cause  was 
coming  to  us  from  different  parts  of  the  State.  At 
Washington,  Wilmington  and  Hillsboro  the  people 
were  awaking  to  the  necessity  of  crushing  out  the 
evil.  In  Washington  forty  heroic  women  marched 
out  of  a  prayer-meeting,  while  prayers  were  ascending 
up  to  the  throne  of  God,  asking  Him  to  aid  them  in 
their  noble  work,  and  the  bells  kept  tolling,  encour- 
aging them  and  telling  them  they  were  being  prayed 
for.  These  noble  women  visited  every  saloon-keeper 
in  the  place,  asking  each  and  every  one  to  quit  his 
evil  business,  and  telling  them  they  were  being  prayed 
for.  Now,  here  in  this  city,  before  many  prayers 
had  been  offered  up  for  this  class,  one  had  come  vol- 

(8) 


114  MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

untarily  forward  and  asked  for  prayers — he  had  run,as 
it  were,  to  meet  us.  This  was  encouraging;  and  she 
hoped  ere  long  to  hear  the  bells  ringing,  prayers  as- 
cending, and  the  women  of  our  city  marching  on  to 
victory  in  this  glorious  cause.  God  could  and  would 
help  if  we  earnestly  asked  His  aid.  One  young  man 
had  said  he  was  willing  to  give  $10  to  help  stop  this 
accursed  business  in  our  midst.  He  was  a  mechanic 
in  one  of  our  manufactories.  Another  said  he  was 
willing  to  forego  drinking  and  give  the  money  thus 
saved  to  suppress  intemperance.  This  was  also  en- 
couraging. She  spoke  of  mothers  coming  to  her  and 
asking  if  something  could  not  be  done  to  save  their 
boys;  and  a  father  whose  hair  was  whitened  with 
age  and  who  was  seemingly  bending  over  the  grave, 
had  said  to  her,  "My  heart  is  broken.  Crush  out  in- 
temperance and  save  others  from  the  agony  I  have 
endured."  She  hoped  the  interest  would  keep  on 
increasing  until  success  would  be  the  reward.  In 
after  remarks,  when  some  one  had  suggested  prayer 
for  distillers  as  well  as  saloon-keepers,  Mrs.  Stewart 
said  she  would  like  the  lawyers  prayed  for  also,  that 
they  might  have  power  and  courage  to  prosecute  the 
liquor  cases  that  may  come  before  the  courts. 

The  subject  for  the  meeting  to-morrow  morning  is 
prayer  for  a  revival  in  all  the  churches.  The  meet- 
ing was  one  of  profound  interest. 

Our  work  is  becoming  almost  overwhelming. 
The  interest  is  spreading  and  deepening  from 
day  to  day.  My  whole  time  has  long  since  been 
entirely  absorbed.  Rising  in  the  morning,  my 
first  thought  is,  what  shall  come  to  my  hand  to- 
day ?  Upon  going  up  to  the  morning  meeting, 
calls  and  appeals  come  to  me  for  help  to  find  a 
husband  or  son,  for  counsel  or  sympathy  or  pecu- 
niary aid,  or  to  visit  the  Mayor's  Court  with 
some  pitiful  woman  to  see  if  anything  can  be 
done  to  save  her  boy  from  the  prison  and  dis- 
grace— to  save  her  husband,  to  hear  the  never- 


MEMORIES   OF   THE    CRUSADE.  11$ 

ending  tales  of  woe.  Oh,  where  is  the  end? 
Can  it  ever  come  ?  All  the  day  busy,  some- 
times unable  to  reach  home,  even  for  dinner,  till 
the  street  lamps  light  the  way.  So  weary,  so 
feeble  indeed,  that  often,  as  I  have  turned  my 
steps  homeward,  I  have  looked  at  passers-by  in 
their  carriages  and  wondered  why  they  did  not 
in  pity  stop  and  take  me  home.  But  how  could 
they  know?  My  work  stimulated  and  animated 
my  whole  soul,  and  the  looker-on  called  it 
physical  force,  and  often  I  would  be  congratu- 
lated upon  my  perfect  health.  I  have  heard 
ladies  in  the  work  say,  "Oh,  if  I  only  had  the 
vitality  that  Mother  Stewart  has.  "  But  how  little 
they  knew  of  the  weariness,  physically,  in  which 
I  went  forth.  It  seems  to  me  that  hundreds  of 
times  in  the  weariness  and  pain  of  the  night, 
when  paying  the  tribute  mother  nature  insists 
upon  for  over-strain,  I  have  said,' 'Now,  certainly 
I  have  gone  the  very  last  day  I  can,  I  must  yield 
it  all  up."  But,  as  the  poor,  overburdened  house- 
wife said,  when  I  would  get  up  and  get  "lim- 
bered out, "  I  would  go  on  again  through  the  day, 
and  so,  with  little  variation,  have  I  gone  all  these 
years. 

I  could  stop  here  and  write  a  homily,  if  it  were 
advisable,  on  the  preservation  of  health  for  the 
sake  of  the  greater  amount  of  good  the  Christian 
could  do  in  a  healthy  body.  Ah,  what  could  I 
have  done  if  I  had  had  perfect  health  ?  What 
could  I  not  do,  even  yet,  though  beyond  the  line 
of  three  score  and  ten,  if  the  tenement  had  not 
been  prematurely  disabled  ? 


Il6       MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE. 

Our  fifth  mass-meeting  was  held  on  the  even- 
ing of  January  1 3th.  A  most  excellent  and  in- 
structive address  was  delivered  by  Mrs.  John 
Foos,  which  I  am  sure  would  be  well  worth  in- 
serting here  if  the  accumulating  matter  did  not 
admonish  me  that  I  will  be  obliged  to  omit  much 
that  would  be  valuable  as  showing  the  different 
stages  and  progress  of  our  work,  or  swell  these 
pages  to  inadmissable  proportions.  The  Republic 
of  the  1 4th  says,  at  the  close  of  this  admirable 
address,  which  was  enthusiastically  applauded  by 
the  audience : 

Mrs.  E.  D.  Stewart  read  a  pledge  to  total  absti- 
nence from  intoxicating  liquors,  and  proposed  that 
it  be  circulated  in  the  house  for  signatures,  and  sug- 
gested that  all  pastors  of  churches  and  superintend- 
ents of  Sunday  Schools  circulate  the  same  among 
those  of  their  charges.  Misses  Rilla  Cathcart,  Made 
Ballard,  Anna  Foos  and  Lida  Ellsworth  circulated 
the  pledge,  and  Mrs.  Stewart  subsequently  announced 
that  287  signatures  had  been  secured  ! 

The  young  ladies  were  coming  up  finely  with 
their  aid  and  influence.  The  above  named  be- 
longed to  families  of  the  highest  standing  in  the 
city.  Our  "Y's"  are  to-day  our  pride,  our 
joy  and  hope. 

The  following  resolutions  were  brought  forward 
by  Mr.  C.  M.  Nichols,  and  adopted,  having  been  pre- 
sented at  a  previous  meeting  by  Rev.  R.  P.  Thomas: 

WHEREAS,  The  liquor  traffic  in  this  city  is  doing 
no  one  any  good,  and  many  people  great  harm, 
therefore, 

Resolved,  ist.  That  it  ought  to  be  abolished. 

2nd.  That  all  opponents  of  the  traffic  should  join 
hands  and  commence  work. 

$rd.  That  the  friends  of  reform  need  money  to 
prosecute  their  work. 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  II J 

4th.  That  the  six  hundred  women,  with  Mother 
Stewart  at  their  head,  are  doing  a  good  work  and 
ought,  to  be  sustained  and  helped  by  all  honest  peo- 
pie. 

5th.  That  we  at  once  recruit  and  enroll  an  army 
large  enough  to  enforce  our  demands,  and  then  issue 
a  summons  to  surrender.  (At  this  time,thirteen  years 
later,  the  summons  has  not  yet  been  issued  Why  ?) 

6th.  That  the  City  Council  should  adopt  an  ordi- 
nance in  accordance  with  the  1 99th  section  of  the  mu- 
nicipal code.  *  *  *  And  having  adopted  it, 
make  provison  for  enforcing  it. 

yth.  That  we  should  elect  only  such  men  to  muni- 
cipal offices  as  will  make  wholesome  laws  and  com- 
pel people  to  respect  and  obey  them. 

Mr.  Barnett,  as  one  of  the  advisory  committee,  re- 
ported at  this  meeting  that  the  ladies  had  a  fully- 
matured  plan  to  secure  material  aid  and  pledges  of 
co-operation.  Committees  of  women  had  been  ap- 
pointed who  would  canvass  each  ward.  At  the 
close  of  the  meeting  the  following  piece  was  sung  : 

«•  The  land  our  father's  trod, 
The  favored  land  of  God— 

Light  of  t'.'.eage — 
Intemperance  doth  defame, 
And  with  its  lurid  flame 
Becloud  thy  glorious  name — 
Thy  history's  page. 

**  Arise,  ye  sons  of  light, 
And  slay  this  withering  blight — 

Our  country's  shame! 
Wipe  out  its  cursed  stain, 
And  break  the  galling  chains, 
Where  e'er  the  tyrant  reigns, 
His  guilt  proclaim. 

"The  truth  in  love  declare, 
But  ne'er  to  speak  forbear — 

Hence  evermore, 
Oh,  let  the  watchword  be, 
Temperance  and    Liberty! 
And  Death  or  Victory  ! 

Till  time  is  o'er. 


Il8  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

Ileav'n  will  your  efforts  bless 
And  crown  them  with  success, 

And  keep  you  free  ; 
The  temperance  flag  shall  wave 
High  o'er  the  monster'*  grave  ; 
Then  chant  His  praise  who  gave 

The  victory !  " 


CHAPTER    VII. 


Letting  Out  of  Troubled   Waters. 


EWS  comes,  glorious  news  of  the  spread 
of  the  Crusade.  Wilmington,  Greenfield 
and  Franklin,  with  other  smaller  places, 
have  entered  upon  the  Holy  war.  As  we  come 
together  in  our  morning  meetings,  telegrams  are 
brought  in,  creating  the  wildest  enthusiasm. 
Oh,  if  we  could  only  start  that  form  of  work  here ! 
But  the  enemy  is  so  formidable,  and  with  all  the 
interest  and  enthusiasm  now  manifested  by  our 
people,  I  greatly  fear  the  test  would  not  give  us 
enough  women  to  make  it  a  success.  While 
some  are  saying  they  are  ready  to  visit  the  saloons 
and  urging  me  to  form  a  band  and  lead  them  out, 
I  find  by  private  canvassing  that  the  majority, as 
yet,  shrink  from  that  form  of  work.  But  this  I 
dare  not  tell,  lest  I  discourage  those  who  are 
eager  to  go.  But  the  most  discouraging  part  of 
it  is,  that  it  is  considered  doubtful,  even  by  Dr. 
Lewis,  whether  that  form  of  work  could  be  made 
successful  in  the  larger  towns  and  cities. 

Gentlemen  are  saying  to  me,  after  I  have  used 
all  my  powers  of  eloquence  to  stimulate  the 
sisters  to  a  sufficient  degree  of  enthusiasm  to 

119 


I2O  MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

enlist — and  I  hope  I  have  about  succeeded — 
"Better  not  go  too  fast,  Mother  Stewart;"  "Better 
not  attempt  it,  than  attempt  and  make  a  failure ;" 
"  Better  make  haste  slowly."  Oh,  dear,  how  I 
have  toiled,  and  wept,  and  prayed,  now  more 
than  three  months.  It  seems  to  me  that  is  slow 
enough  haste,  in  all  conscience. 

I  do  not  say  this  new  work  is  the  way  to  close 
out  the  liquor  business,  but  a  way,  and  where 
being  tried  is  proving  wonderfully  successful.  In 
all  the  past  efforts  in  the  temperance  cause,  the 
drinking  places  have  not  been  closed  up.  The 
great  reform  movements,  such  as  that  of  the 
Washingtonians,  were  not  directed  against  the 
saloon ;  and  while  undoubtedly  for  a  time  the 
sales  were  greatly  reduced  and  very  probably 
some  places  closed  for  lack  of  sufficient  patron- 
age, enough  were  always  left  to  supply  the 
demand  and  to  serve  as  man-traps,  ever  ready  to 
lure  back  to  his  ruin  any  poor  fellow  who  was 
too  weak  to  withstand  the  temptation.  And 
alas,  alas !  how  many  were  thus  lured  again  to 
their  final  destruction,  while  a  new  army  has  been 
recruited  from  our  own  dear  boys.  How  soon 
might  men  with  the  freeman's  ballot  in  their 
hands,  arrest  this  ever  on-surging  tide  of  woe,  if 
they  would.  But,  since  they  will  not,  we  must 
do  what  we  can.  I  do  thank  the  dear  Lord  that 
He  is  awakening  the  women  and  calling  them 
from  their  long,  lethargic  sleep  of  indifference 
upon  the  subject.  But  our  trouble  here  is  not 
only  the  number  of  places,  but  the  class  of  men 


MEMORIES   OF  THE    CRUSADE.  121 

engaged  in  the  business.  The  towns  that  have 
taken  up  the  work  are  comparatively  small,  and 
the  citizens  are  known  to  each  other.  There  is 
a  less  per  cent,  of  foreigners  engaged  in  the 
business,  and  men  of  American  birth  are  more 
easily  reached  by  the  pleadings  of  the  Christian 
women,  especially  where  they  know  them  per- 
sonally. When  ladies  that  they  know  and  respect 
for  their  Christian  character  come  to  talk  with 
them,  they  are  shamed  out  of  their  business. 
But  our  liquor-dealers  are  nearly  all  foreigners ; 
have  been  used  to  selling  and  drinking  all  their 
lives,  and  care  only  for  the  money  they  can  get 
out  of  the  sale. 

My  first  visit  to  a  saloon-keeper  was  to  Mr.  G. 
D.,  who  was  almost  done  selling.  Accompanied 
by  Mrs.  Cathcart,  I  went  to  his  home,  a  little  out 
of  the  city.  It  was  a  very  pretty  place,  which 
he  had  bought  with  the  money  he  had  obtained 
of  many  a  poor  man  in  exchange  for  his  soul- 
destroying  drink.  But  while  he  had  dealt  the 
poison  to  others,  he  had  also  partaken  freely  of 
it,  and  he  was  now  slowly  dying — a  pitiable  look- 
ing object.  I  tried  to  talk  with  him  as  well  as  I 
could  ;  spoke  of  his  and  my  locks  whitening  for 
the  grave.  Yes,  he  said,  his  hair  had  been 
very  black,  but  some  nine  years  before  Mrs. 
Gillet  and  other  ladies  (whose  boys  he  was  ruin- 
ing) had  combined  to  prosecute  him  for  selling 
liquor,  and  had  treated  him  very  badly.  He 
stood  them  a  strong  fight,  but  they  beat  him  and 
had  him  sent  to  jail,  where  he  lay  for  three  weeks. 


122  MEMORIES   OF   THE    CRUSADE. 

"That  was  what  turned  my  hair  gray,"  said  he. 
"It  was  pretty  hard  to  have  it  thrown  up  to  my 
children  that  their  father  was  in  jail. "  Yes,  but 
this  poor,  dying  man  did  not  seem  to  think  of 
the  many  poor  wretches  that  had  been  sent  to 
jail  through  drinking  his  liquors,  nor  of  their 
children  taunted  with  their  fathers  being  drunk- 
ards as  well  as  in  jail.  The  difference  is  in  the 
point  of  observation. 

Mr.  D.  charged  that  the  druggists  did  much 
more  damage  than  he  did,  and  yet  because  they 
pretended  to  sell  only  for  medicinal  purposes, 
they  had  immunity  from  prosecution.  He  knew 
that  many  a  man  that  would  not  be  seen  going 
into  a  saloon  would  go  to  the  drug-store  and  get 
his  flask  filled  and  carry  it  away  in  his  pocket.  He 
knew  all  about  the  druggists'  selling.  He  had 
been  employed  by  them  for  many  years  as  tester 
of  the  quality  of  their  liquors.  I  asked  him  if 
it  was  his  opinion  that  there  were  any  pure  liquors 
to  be  had.  He  answered  that  he  did  not  believe 
there  was  a  bottle  in  the  city. 

It  is  the  universal  complaint  of  saloon-keepers 
that  the  druggists  sell  right  along,  and  are  per- 
mitted to,  everywhere.  And  everywhere  the 
temperance  people  have  repeated  the  uniform 
complaint  that  the  druggists  are  hardest  to  reach. 
Claiming  their  privilege  under  the  law  to  keep  and 
sell  for  medicinal  purposes,  they  take  advantage 
of  their  opportunity  to  sell  to  drinkers,  and  it 
seems  almost  impossible  to  reach  them.  In  one 
place,  I  was  told  of  a  very  respectable  doctor 


MEMORIES    OF   THE    CRUSADE.  123 

and  member  of  the  Legislature,  who  had  an  ingen- 
ious arrangement  in  his  store,  where  a  gentle- 
man could  go  to  a  shelf,  where  was  a  faucet  just 
above,  turn  the  faucet,  fill  his  glass  and  drink, 
lay  down  his  change  and  walk  out ;  no  questions 
asked,  no  word  said. 

I  had  a  very  interesting  conversation  with  a 
traveler  for  a  wholesale  house  in  Cincinnati,  who 
explained  that  he  only  sold  to  the  "  legitimate 
trade,"  the  druggists;  he  did  not  sell  to  saloons. 
I  asked  him  about  how  much  a  druggist  doing 
ordinary  business  would  sell  in  a  year  for  strict- 
ly legitimate  purposes.  He  said  two  or  three 
barrels.  In  small  places  they  might  not  need 
more  than  twelve  or  fifteen  gallons.  I  do  not 
make  the  sweeping  assertion  that  all  druggists 
disregard  the  law,  but  certainly  a  large  class  of 
them  do. 

Still  referring  to  my  files,  I  see  that  at  our  next 
mass-meeting  the  interest  was  increasing.  I  will 
only  quote  from  the  extended  report  a  speech 
by  J.  H.  Beadle,  the  Commercial  reporter,  who 
said  he  had  been  sent  by  Mr.  Halstead  to  write 
up  this  Women's  Temperance  Movement,  which 
was  being  published  through  the  State.  He  had 
been  at  Washington  C.  H.,  where  the  women 
had  started,  at  Greenfield,  at  Wilmington,  and 
other  places.  He  thought  from  all  he  had  seen 
and  heard,  that  the  Washington  plan  was  the 
best  for  small  places  ;  that  saloon-keepers  could 
and  would  resist  law  measures  ;  that  they  could 
raise  plenty  of  money  to  do  this ;  but  when  pray- 


124  MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

ing  Christian  women  entered  their  doors  and 
prayed  for  them  and  their  families,  and  that  God 
would  open  their  eyes  to  the  fact  that  they  were 
dealing  out  death  and  destruction,  the  saloon- 
keeper had  no  alternative  but  to  quit.  He  did 
not  know  how  this  plan  would  work  in  a  city  of 
this  size,  and  thought  it  might  be  wise  to  use  the 
law.  Another  point  this  speaker  made  was,  the 
importance  of  the  friends  of  temperance  electing 
men  to  nominating  conventions,  so  that  they  then 
would  be  sure  of  electing  men  of  their  choice,  and 
said  it  was  folly  to  wait  until  candidates  were  nom- 
inated in  other  interests,  and  your  choice  limited 
to  men  who  do  not  represent  your  ideas,  some  of 
whom  are  sure  to  be  elected,  and  the  temperance 
cause  would  not  be  benefited  by  your  votes  (very 
wholesome  doctrine  this).  I  also  see  that  my 
young  friend,  A.  M.  Griffith,  made  a  good  speech, 
saying  he  thought  the  work  needed  more  young 
blood  in  it,  and  he  had  decided  to  cast  in  his  lot 
with  the  friends  of  the  cause. 

At  this  meeting  I  presented  the  following  res- 
olution, which  was  adopted  by  a  rising  and  almost 
unanimous  vote : 

Resolved,  That  we,  citizens  of  Springfield,  will  not 
patronize  any  grocery  or  place  of  business  where  in- 
toxicating liquors  are  sold  as  a  beverage.  But,  if  any 
person  now  engaged  in  the  traffic  will  quit  the  busi- 
ness, we  will  not  only  give  him  the  right  hand  of  fel- 
lowship, but  we  will  also  give  him  a  due  portion  of  our 
support  and  patronage,  with  others  of  our  fellow-citi- 
zens who  are  engaged  in  honest  and  honorable  busi- 
ness. 

And  now  I  have  come  to  the  point  where,  in 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

justice  to  myself  as  well  as  to  historical  truth,  I 
am  compelled  to  refer  to  a  feature  that  early  in- 
truded itself  in  our  work,  and  has  been,  in  the 
hands  of  certain  parties,  a  source  of  great  trouble 
and  grief  to  me  all  through  it.  And  although 
the  world,  or,  I  should  say  perhaps,  the  women, 
have  wonderfully  grown  out  of  much  ignorance 
and  narrow  prejudice  in  the  march  of  events, 
there  are  yet  some  who  seem  unable  to  keep  up 
with  these  events,  but  still  stand  ready  to  cry 
out  in  alarm  at  anything  that  is  not  in  accord 
with  their  preconceived  notions.  I  presume 
even  those  who  do  not  know  me  personally,  in 
following  me  thus  far,  will  be  prepared  to  be- 
lieve that  what  I  have  been  convinced  is  right, 
I  must  indorse,  whatever  be  the  consequences. 
And  thus  it  was,  from  my  own  observation,  and 
more  from  my  own  experience  in  life,  I  had  long 
since  learned  that  woman  was  not  man's  equal 
before  the  law.  That  to  live  her  life  as  God  de- 
signed all  rational  beings  should,  she  must  be 
not  only  unhindered  by  unjust  laws,  but  pro- 
tected, as  man  was,  by  those  that  are  just.  This 
I  had  maintained  with  voice  and  pen.  But  woe 
is  me !  I  was  indelibly  branded  ' '  strong- 
minded,"  "woman  suffragist,"  which  were  epi- 
thets not  a  whit  behind,  no,  even  more  scath- 
ing than  that  of  "abolitionist,"  for  there  was  a 
little  consideration  for  one  who  braved  public 
prejudice  for  another,  even  though  that  other  was 
a  "  nigger."  But  that  a  woman  should  clamor 
for  tier  rights — want  to  go  through  the  mud  to 


126  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CP.USADE. 

the  polls — want  to  go  and  vote  with  horrid  men, 
drunkards  and  all — she  might  live  with  such, 
forever,  and  who  cared  ?  She  might  go  through 
mud,  or  what  not,  to  procure  a  means  of  subsist- 
ence for  herself  and  children,  who  cared  ?  But 
an  ambitious  woman  meddling  in  politics,  want- 
ing office  !  Oh,  dear,  it  was  too  utterly  awful ! 
Now  you  are  scarcely  able  to  suppress  a  smile  at 
this  array  of  a  scare-crow  stuffed  with  saw-dust 
or  old  rags.  But  you  must  know  the  class  of 
sweet  women — who  are  always  so  happy  to  de- 
clare "they  have  all  the  rights  they  want ;"  '  'they 
are  perfectly  willing  to  let  their  husbands  vote 
for  them  " — are  and  always  have  been  numerous, 
though  it  is  an  occasion  for  thankfulness  that  they 
are  becoming  less  so.  But  they  have  much  to 
do  in  making  public  sentiment  on  the  subject, 
and  they  are  always  louder  in  declaring  that  they 
don't  want  to  vote — not  they — than  the  suffragists 
are  in  asking  the  right.  They  were  sufficiently 
numerous  in  the  beginning  of  our  work  to  make 
a  great  deal  of  trouble.  It  is  a  fact  not  generally 
known,  but  nevertheless  true,  that  among  the 
beginners  of  the  temperance  movement,  those 
that  came  and  stood  by  my  side  first  were  be- 
lievers in  the  principle  of  suffrage  ;  others,  though 
believing  in,  were  reticent  about  it.  But  in  our 
work,  as  it  presented  itself  to  us,  there  was  no  oc- 
casion then  for  introducing  the  suffrage  question. 
But  those  good,  satisfied  sisters  suspected  some 
hidden  intent,  and  rushing  into  the  papers  gave 
the  alarm.  Oh,  why  was  it  that  this  demon  of 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  I2/ 

discord  was  permitted  to  show  its  deformed 
head  at  the  very  beginning  of  our  work. 

I  have  before  me  a  report  by  Beadle,  corre- 
spondent for  the  Cincinnati  Commercial,  of  his 
visit  to  Springfield  and  of  the  meeting  in  which 
he  participated,  making  some  sharp,  possibly  in 
a  degree  just,  criticisms,  though  we  did  not 
think  so.  I  am  satisfied  that  our  methods  were 
the  best  and  only  way  we  could  work  at  the 
time,  and  they  did  arouse  and  eventually  enlist 
a  very  large  portion  of  our  best  citizens. 

But  unfortunately  he  asserted  that  our  work 
promised  to  split  into  three  currents ;  one  for 
temperance,  another  for  religious  revival,  and  the 
third  for  woman  suffrage.  No  word  had  been 
uttered  on  the  subject  in  any  meeting,  pro  or 
con,  by  any  one. 

Mr.  Beadle  called  on  me,  the  morning  before 
the  meeting,  and  interviewed  me  at  considerable 
length  in  regard  to  my  work  and  the  temper- 
ance outlook  in  our  city.  And  his  report  of  the 
interview  is  very  fair,  as  his  reports  of  me  always 
were.  While  he  did  not  endorse  my  views  en- 
tirely, he  was  always  fair  and  generous  in  his  re- 
ports of  my  meetings.  He  went  with  me  to  differ- 
ent points  to  write  up  the  work  for  his  paper,  and  I 
have  always  counted  him  as  among  my  warm 
personal  friends.  I  know  he  did  not  intend  to 
do  me  a  personal  injury.  But,  oh,  how  I  have 
suffered  from  that  letting  out  of  the  waters.  It 
gave  color  and  shape  to  what  before  had  neither 
color  nor  shape.  And  there  was  no  possibility 


128  MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

of  arresting  the  impression  that  went  out  every- 
where from  it.  Mr.  B.,  very  much  to  my  sur- 
prise, persisted  in  our  interview  in  bringing  for- 
ward the  suffrage  question.  I  could  not  under- 
stand why,  but  as  he  insisted  upon  my  giving  my 
views,  I  did  so  frankly  and  honestly,  but  in  no 
way  connected  it  with  our  work  in  hand,  and  re- 
minded him  that  this  was  strictly  a  private  con- 
versation ;  and  again,  as  he  was  leaving,  I  re- 
quested him  to  bear  in  mind  that  this  part  of  the 
conversation  was  strictly  confidential,  and  he  as- 
sured me  that  he  considered  and  would  respect 
it  as  such.  Upon  his  return  to  the  city,  I  told 
him  of  my  astonishment  at  his  report  and  re- 
minded him  of  his  promise.  ' '  Oh, ' '  he  answered, 
with  a  conscious  smile,  ' '  that  I  got  from  others. " 
I  am  glad  to  say  I  never  knew  who  they  were. 
But  I  learned,  to  my  surprise  and  grief,  that 
there  were  a  good  many  swept  into  that  wonder- 
ful work,  as  I  suppose  always  have  and  will  be 
into  every  good  work,  who  were  not  able  to 
grasp  the  deep  meaning  thereof,  nor  to  take  in 
the  great  and  glorious  lesson  God  designed  to 
teach  his  children  through  it  of  love  and  charity 
and  forbearance  one  with  another,  as  well  as 
with  the  liquor-seller.  We  shall  have  gone  a  great 
way  towards  convincing  the  world  of  the  gen- 
uineness of  our  religion,  and  bringing  sinners  to 
accept  it,  when  we  have  learned  well  the  lesson  of 
tolerance  and  forbearance  and  charity  among  our- 
selves. I  found  this  spirit  of  discord  a  source  of 
much  anxiety  and  sorrow  to  the  mor4  earnest 
and  practical  in  many  places. 


[EMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADfi.  I2Q 

I  had  seen  from  the  beginning  that  we  had 
entered  into  a  struggle  with  a  foe  that  was 
strong  and  unscrupulous,  as  well  as  strongly 
backed  with  political  and  financial  influence ;  and 
I  saw  that  it  would  take  all  the  combined  strength 
of  the  Christian  Church  to  overcome  it.  I  there- 
fore exerted  myself  as  far  as  possible  to  enlist 
all,  of  whatever  name,  in  our  cause,  and  if  we 
could  have  entirely  laid  aside  our  sectarian  preju- 
dices and  personal  ambitions  and  jealousies,  we 
would  have  accomplished  much  more  than  we 
did. 

The  liquor-seller  had,  if  not  a  respect  for  re- 
ligion, at  least  a  sort  of  superstitious  awe  and 
fear  of  the  church.  They  have  said  to  me,  ' '  We 
thought  the  whole  Christian  Church  had  risen  up 
against  us,  and  we  knew  it  would  be  of  no  use 
to  attempt  to  stand  out  against  them."  Yes, 
and  they  wonder  always  why  the  church 
could  ever  tolerate  such  an  abomination  ;  and 
since  it  had,  they  had  less  respect  for  it.  A 
wonderful  confession,  and  one  to  suffuse  the 
Christian's  cheek  with  shame.  It  was  virtually 
saying  that  the  church  had  the  power  to  put  an 
end  to  the  liquor  traffic  if  it  would — an  honest 
and  truthful  admission  of  the  power  and  influence 
of  a  faithful  church.  But  what  grief  and  humil- 
iation we  suffered  when  they  discovered  that  it 
was  only  a  part  of  the  church  that  had  risen  up 
against  them,  and  even  these  were  not  always 
harmonious  among  themselves.  How  I  exhorted 
my  sisters  everywhere  to  stand  together,  only 

(9) 


I3O  MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

in  our  united  strength  could  we  hope  to  prevail. 

What  wonder  that  many  went  back  to  their 
death-dealing  business  again ! 

Springfield  being  so  much  larger  than  those 
towns  that  had  taken  up  the  visiting  method,  it 
was  a  subject  of  serious  question  whether  we 
could  make  that  method  successful.  Mr.  Brown, 
of  the  Cincinnati  Gazette,  having  visited  our  city 
after  witnessing  the  work  in  the  smaller  towns, 
expressed  his  doubt  of  the  Lewis  method  suc- 
ceeding in  a  city  of  the  size  of  Springfield,  say- 
ing it  was  only  calculated  to  be  effective  in  coun- 
try towns  of  3,000  or  4,000  and  under.  He  adds, 
'  'I  would  not  have  it  understood  that  Mrs.  Stewart 
is  alone  in  pushing  forward  the  cause.  She  has 
several  talented  coadjutors,  among  whom  are 
Mrs.  M.  W.  Baines,  whose  missionary  spirit  has 
led  her  into  other  towns,  and  Mrs.  S.  M.  FooSr 
wife  of  one  of  the  wealthiest  men  in  Springfield, 
herself  a  woman  of  rare  ability.  To  these  ladies 
the  temperance  cause  is  indebted  for  many  excel- 
lent addresses  and  much  other  valuable  service, 
but  whether  they  are  in  favor  of  following  the 
steps  of  Mrs.  Hadley  and  Mrs.  Runyan,  of  Wil- 
mington fame,  and  lead  a  band  of  women  through 
mud  and  rain  into  dens  of  wickedness,  I  do 
not  know."  Mr.  Brown's  doubts  were  most  sat- 
isfactorily answered  only  a  few  days  later.  Our 
Executive  Committee  had  been  very  active  in 
collecting  evidence  against  the  rum-sellers  for 
illegal  selling,  and  many  cases  had  been  reported 
and  the  keepers  fined.  A  second  petition  was 


MEMORIES    OF   THE    CRUSADE.  131 

prepared  by  order  of  the  Executive  Committee 
and  duly  presented  to  the  City  Council,  asking 
again  for  an  ordinance  to  prohibit  the  sale  of 
liquors  under  the  McConnelsville  Ordinance,  of 
which  we  will  hear  a  few  days  hence.  But 
while  we  have  been  so  busy  in  our  city,  so  have 
the  friends  all  over  the  country,  calling  meetings, 
organizing,  getting  ready  for  the  conflict,  and  in 
many  places  moving  out  on  the  enemy.  The 
papers  are  almost  wholly  occupied  with  reports 
of  the  uprising.  Is  the  millennium  indeed  com- 
ing? My  great  perplexity  is,  how  to  select 
from  so  much.  The  history  of  the  work  in 
Springfield,  if  fully  written  up,  would  fill  a  large 
volume,  as  would  an  account  of  the  movement 
in  almost  any  place  where  it  was  prosecuted. 
No  full  history  is  possible  any  more  than  was 
that  of  the  Great  Rebellion. 

It  is  true  that  the  main  features  of  the  move- 
ment were  very  similar  everywhere,  but  at  the 
same  time  every  locality  had  its  peculiar  features, 
controlling  influences  and  incidents,  both  pathetic 
and  humorous.  But  all  were  so  thoroughly  ab- 
sorbed in  the  work,  so  thoroughly  a  part  of  it, 
that  they  neither  had  time  nor  thought  for  look- 
ing on  or  taking  note  of  passing  events. 

A  reporter  for  Hillsboro,in  a  Cincinnati  paper 
under  date  of  January  i$th,  gives  the  following  : 

The  woman's  temperance  movement  in  our  town 
still  continues  and  the  excitement,  pervading  the 
entire  community  at  this  time,  certainly  exceeds  any- 
thing we  have  witnessed  in  Hillsboro  during  a  resi- 
dence of  over  twenty  years,  excepting  only  that  oc- 


132  MEMORIES   OF  THE  CRUSADE. 

casioned  by  the  news  of  the  firing  on  Sumter  at  the 
outbreak  of  the  Rebellion. 

Last  week  the  ladies  who  had  been  laboring  so 
faithfully  to  persuade  the  liquor-sellers  to  abandon 
their  death-dealing  traffic, appeared  to  be  discouraged 
by  their  want  of  success,  as  the  stubborn  enemy  still . 
refused  to  yield  in  spite  of  their  prayers  and  entreaties. 
At  this  juncture  it  was  suggested  that  the  Macedon- 
ian cry  for  help  be  sent  over  to  our  neighboring  town 
of  Washington  C.  H.,  where  the  ladies  had  already 
achieved  a  grand  success  in  a  similar  movement,  al- 
though commenced  two  or  three  days  after  ours. 
The  good  women  of  Washington  promptly  responded 
to  the  call  and  on  Monday  last  four  of  the  most  active 
leaders  in  the  work,  namely :  Mrs.  Rev.  Geo.  Car- 
penter, Mrs.  Judge  McLean,  Mrs.  Judge  Priddy  and 
Miss  Anna  Ustic,came  over, accompanied  by  Mr.  P. 
E.  Morehouse,  Superintendent  of  the  Washington 
Union  Schools,  and  Mr.  C.  S.  Dean,  teacher  in  the 
High  School  department.  On  Monday  night  our 
large  Music  Hall  was  densely  packed,  and  stirring 
and  eloquent  addresses  were  delivered  by  Messrs. 
Dean  and  Morehouse,  who  gave  a  history  of  the 
movement  in  Washington,  in  which  they  had  actively 
co-operated  with  the  ladies.  Their  story  was  listened 
to  with  the  deepest  of  interest,  and  aroused  every 
temperance  man  and  woman  to  a  determination  to 
renew  the  conflict  at  once  and  never  give  it  up  until 
victory  is  won.  At  the  suggestion  of  Mr.  Dean  it 
was  determined  that  the  temperance  men  here  should 
adopt  the  plan  pursued  at  Washington,  and  hold  a 
continuous  prayer-meeting  in  one  of  the  churches, 
while  the  ladies  were  visiting  the  saloons,  and  that  at 
the  close  of  each  prayer  the  bell  be  rung  to  encour- 
age the  ladies  with  the  thought  that  fervent  prayers 
were  ascending  to  God  for  their  work. 

The  ladies  were  greatly  encouraged  by  the  visit  of 
their  sisters  from  Washington,  and  a  new  impulse  was 
given  to  the  work. 

From  the  Cincinnati  Gazette,  under  date  of 
January  26th,  I  copy  a  very  correct  report  of  the 
work  in  Hillsboro  from  the  beginning  to  that 
date: 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 


133 


*  *  *  Dr.  Dio  Lewis,  on  the  22nd  of  December 
last,  visited  Hillsboro  by  invitation  of  the  local  Lec- 
ture Association  and  addressed  us.  At  the  close  of 
the  lecture  he  announced  that  he  would  remain  and 
on  the  next  evening  speak  on  the  subject  of  temper- 
ance. At  that  meeting  he  broached  his  plan  for  a 
campaign  against  the  enemy  and  enlisted  a  large 
number  of  ladies  in  the  enterprise,  besides  securing 
the  names  of  many  gentlemen  to  "back"  the  move- 
ment. From  here  he  went  to  Washington  C.  II.,  and 
inaugurated  a  like  work,  whence  this  has  been  often 
called  the  Washington  C.  H.  movement.  Since  that 
time  Hillsboro  has  been  the  scene  of  constant  excite- 
ment. 

Every  morning  at  9  o'clock  the  basement  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church  is  filled  with  women  and  men 
who  meet  for  prayers.  After  an  hour's  devotional 
exercise,  the  women  start  upon  their  round  of  visita- 
tion. They  enter  each  saloon,  drug-store  and  hotel 
with  their  "dealer's  pledge,"  asking  the  proprietors 
t )  sign  it  When  met  with  refusal  they  sing  and 
pray,  plead  and  exhort,  beseech,  implore  and  sing 
and  pray  again,  until  the  dealer  yields  to  their  en- 
treaties or  it  is  time  to  go  elsewhere.  Every  night 
meetings  are  held  in  the  audience-room  of  the  Pres- 
byterian or  Methodist  Church,  or  else  in  our  com- 
modious Town  Hall. 

These  rooms  are  crowded  nightly,  and  the  meet- 
ings are  full  of  interest.  More  than  four  weeks  of 
such  labor  have  passed,  and  instead  of  flagging,  our 
zeal  steadily  increases.  All  denominations  are 
represented;  all  parties,  all  classes,  all  colors,  are 
represented.  The  leading  spirits  are  the  women  of 
our  most  influential  families,  and  with  them  march, 
and  work,  and  knepl,  and  pray,  the  representatives 
of  every  circle  in  our  village  society.  On  the  first 
morning  of  their  visiting,  their  pledge  was  signed  by 
J.  J.  Brown  and  Laybert  Isamen,  druggists.  These 
men  had  nobly  shown  their  Christian  integrity  and 
honesty  by  the  willingness,  even  earnestness,  with 
which  they  responded  to  their  duty.  Dr.  W.  R. 
Smith,  another  druggist,  signed  reluctantly,  and  with 
a  promise  that  is  thoroughly  unsatisfactory  to  all  who 
are  in  earnest  in  the  matter.  His  position  as  an 


134  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

elder  in  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  his  earnest- 
ness heretofore  in  public  prayer, had  caused  many  to 
hope  for  better  things  from  him. 

But  action  has  been  postponed  in  his  case,  as 
personal  iriends  trust  that  by  private  persuasion  he 
may  be  brought  to  see  the  error  of  his  ways. 

Of  the  fourth  druggist,  more  anon.  His  name  it 
is  '"tegus"  to  dwell  upon  :  it  is  William  Henry  Harri- 
son Dunn.  Of  the  saloons,  that  of  Joseph  Lance 
was  soon  closed.  It  was  a  hard  place,  known  as  the 
1  'Lava  Bed."  After  a  prayer-meeting  or  two  Joe 
was  arrested  for  illegal  selling  of  liquors,  and  stands 
over  to  court  on  two  indictments.  He  is  a  clever 
fellow  who  got  into  a  bad  business.  His  establish- 
ment is  closed,  never  to  reopen,  and  he  is  selling  fish. 
They  are  known  as  *  'cold-water  fish,"  and  find  ready 
sale  in  these  cold-water  times.  The  saloons  kept 
respectively  by  Dr.  Roch  and  William  Schwartz, 
held  out  longer,  but  two  weeks  siege  brought  them 
to  terms.  They  re-shipped  their  liquors  to  Cincin- 
nati and  sold  out  their  tra;  s  at  auction.  The  ladies 
attended  in  force,  anxious  to  secure  mementoes.  It 
was  fun  to  see  our  pious  sisters  stringing  home  from 
this  sale,  lugging  bottles,  tumblers,  beer-mugs  and 
decanters.  One  good  mother  in  Israel,  hugging  to 
her  bosom  a  long-necked  fancy  bottle  with  a  marble 
arrangement  to  its  mouth,  and  a  pictured  label 
lettered  "Whisky,"  was  an  object  for  contemplation, 
as  she  stood  waiting  to  get  one  of  those  "pretty 
glasses  with  handles  to  them,"  before  she  went  home. 

The  women  left  their  measure  for  a  hundred  pairs 
of  shoes,  more  or  less,  with  Roch,  and  he  is  now 
pegging  away  at  his  trade  with  an  easy  conscience 
and  satisfied  face.  Mr.  Schwartz  has  bought  a  stock 
of  groceries,  and  bids  fair  with  the  patronage  of  the 
temperance  people  to  do  a  good  business.  Billy  is 
said  to  be  about  the  happiest  man  in  town  since  his 
"change  of  base,"  as  he  thoroughly  hated  his  former 
occupation. 

Of  the  other  saloons  and  hotels,  none  have  as 
yet  come  fully  to  their  duty,  though  their  trade  in 
liquor  is  cut  down  to  such  an  infinitesimal  figure  as  to 
be  virtually  extinct.  A  little  back-door  work  is 
going  on,  but  they  all  know  that  spies  are  thick 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  135 

about  them,  and  those  who  fear  not  God  have  a 
wholesome  respect  for  law,  as  it  will  be  enforced 
under  the  present  circumstances.  I  understand  that 
a  number  of  indictments  will  probably  be  found  by 
our  grand  jury,  which  sits  this  week.  These,  if 
secured,  will  help  out  the  praying  handsomely. 
Meanwhile  the  battle  wages  around  Dunn's  drug 
store.  It  is  felt  that  until  he  surrenders  nothing 
further  can  be  accomplished.  His  yielding  would 
be  speedily  followed  by  a  rout  and  capture  of  the 
rest.  Daily,  scores  of  women  visit  him  to  sing  and 
pray.  On  Friday  last,  for  the  first  time,  they  found 
his  door  locked  in  their  faces,  so  that  their  prayer- 
meetings  have  since  been  held  on  the  pavement  in 
front  of  his  establishment. 

It  is  a  thrilling  sight  to  see  these  women  commun- 
ing with  their  Maker  before  his  store,  while  he  sits 
communing  with  himself  within.  It  is  sincerely  to 
be  regretted  that  he  has  allowed  himself  to  be  thus 
placed  as  an  obstacle  to  the  progress  of  the  work. 
His  high  sense  of  honor  and  frank,  open  disposition 
would  have  inclined  him  to  a  better  course,  but  he 
has  unfortunately  yielded  to  the  influence  of  corrupt 
counselors  in  this  matter.  They  have  nothing  to 
lose  by  their  action,  while  he  suffers  severely  in 
pocket  and  public  esteem  by  being  used  as  a  protec- 
tion for  worse  men.  Of  course,  sooner  or  later  he 
must  surrender ;  no  man  can  stand  long  against  the 
moral  power  of  the  whole  community  when  it  is 
brought  to  bear  at  short  range  on  him.  (The  sequel 
proved  that  the  reporter  reckoned  without  his  host.) 
An  Irishman  standing  across  the  street  the  other  day 
watching  the  women  before  this  store,  removed  his 
stub  pipe,  blew  out  a  contemplative  cloud  of  smoke 
and  blurted  out:  "Och!  begory !  they'll  jist  pray 
the  boots  off  of  him."  The  fact  is,  the  Lord  is  at 
the  head  of  this  movement,  and  will  no  doubt  prove 
a  match  for  Mr.  Dunn.  (And  he  did,  for  the  man 
never  prospered  in  his  business  afterwards,  but 
succeeded  meantime  in  giving  the  temperance  friends 
much  trouble.) 

Turning  a  corner  on  last  Saturday  afternoon,  I 
came  unexpectedly  upon  fifty  women  kneeling  on 
the  pavement  and  stone  steps  before  this  store.  A 


136  MEMORIES   OF  THE  CRUSADE. 

daughter  of  a  former  Governor  of  Ohio  was  leading 
in  prayer.  Surrounding  her  were  the  mothers,  wives 
and  daughters  of  former  Congressmen  and  Legisla- 
tors, of  our  lawyers,  physicians,  bankers,  ministers, 
teachers,  business  men  of  all  kinds.  Indeed,  there 
were  gathered  there  representatives  from  nearly 
every  household  of  the  town.  The  day  was  bitter 
cold,  a  piercing  north  wind  swept  the  street,  chilling 
us  all  to  the  bone.  The  plaintive,  tender,  earnest 
tones  of  that  pleading  wife  and  mother  arose  on  the 
blast  and  were  carried  to  every  heart  within  reach. 
Passers-by  uncovered  their  heads,  for  the  place 
whereon  they  trod  was  "holy  ground."  The  eyes  of 
hardened  men  filled  with  tears,  and  many  turned 
away  saying  they  could  not  bear  to  look  on  such  a 
sight.  When  the  voice  of  prayer  was  hushed,  the 
women  arose  and  began  to  sing  softly  a  sweet  hymn, 
some  old  familiar  words  and  tune,  such  as  our  moth- 
ers sang  to  us  in  childhood  days.  We  thought,  *  'Can 
mortal  man  resist  such  efforts?"  An  old  rough- 
visaged  farmer,  wiping  the  tears  from  his  eyes  with 
his  fists,  ejaculated,  "  'Pears  to  me  like  a  rail  would 
go  through  that  door  mighty  durned  quick."  Then 
the  women  kneel  and  once  more  the  earnest  tones  of 
prayer  are  borne  upon  the  breeze.  So,  from  10  A. 
M.  to  4  P.  M.  the  work  goes  on,  the  ladies  relieving 
each  other  by  relays. 

Close  by  is  the  residence  of  the  Hon.  John  A. 
Smith,  our  former  M.  C.,  and  now  our  delegate  to 
the  Constitutional  Convention.  His  noble,  warm- 
hearted wife  has  provided  a  bounteous  lunch  to 
which  the  workers  resort,  then  away  to  kneel  and 
pray.  The  effect  upon  the  spectators  is  indescribable. 
No  sneer  is  heard,  scarcely  a  light  word  is  spoken. 
The  spirit  of  devotion  is  abroad,  and  those  who 
would  scorn  to  pray  themselves,  yet  feel  that  here 
is  something  which  they  must  at  least  respect. 
Many  a '  'God  bless  them"  falls  from  lips  unaccustomed 
to  use  the  name  of  Deity  only  in  blasphemy.  There 
is  not  a  man  who  sees  them  kneeling  there,  but  feels 
that  if  he  were  entering  Heaven's  gate  and  one  of 
these  women  were  to  appear,  he  would  stand  aside 
and  let  her  go  in  first.  Our  work  is  not  attended 
with  what  is  called  enthusiasm,  or  rather  the  enthu- 


MEMORIES    OF    THE    CRUSADE. 

siasm  has  been  guided  to  a  purpose.  We  propose  to 
settle  this  thing  forever  while  we  are  at  it.  Our 
good  citizens  have  raised  a  subscription,  in  the  form 
of  a  "guarantee  fund, "  to  assist  this  movement  This 
now  amounts  to  about  $13,000,  and  can  easily  be 
raised  to  $100,000  if  necessary;  a  little  opposition 
will  run  the  figures  up  indefinitely.  A  little  experi- 
ence with  Judge  Steel  would  no  doubt  teach  the 
whisky  men  that  it  is  illegal  to  sell  liquor  contrary  to 
law,  a  seeming  plain  proposition,  but  one  which  they 
seem  slow  to  heed. 

I  have  tried  to  give  a  full  and  yet  as  brief  an 
account  as  possible  of  our  work  here.  It  is  a  weary 
struggle.  Delicate  women  have  for  a  month  past 
trudged  through  storm  and  slush,  and  knelt  in  filthy 
rum-holes,  and  on  cold  pavements,  offering  up  their 
lives  and  health  as  a  free  sacrifice  to  the  good  of 
mankind.  The  end  is  not  yet,  but  their  hearts  grow 
stronger,  their  faith  brighter,  their  prayers  more 
earnest  with  each  day.  Whatever  outside  scoffers 
may  say,  we  of  Hillsboro  will  hereafter  have  no 
sneer  for  women,  and  no  sneer  at  prayers.  I  should 
perhaps  speak  of  the  thorough  Christian  spirit  that 
pervades  the  community.  As  the  breath  of  roses 
ladens  the  air  of  summer  evenings,  so  the  prayers  of 
these  women  seem  to  be  diffused  by  the  January 
winds,  and  to  fall  in  blessing  on  every  heart.  The 
feeling  is  one  of  yearning  love  and  pity  for  those 
who  stand  out  against  their  duty  to  their  fellow  men. 
It  is  true  that  some  of  us  remember  at  times  that 
our  Master  once  used  the  scourge  on  evil  men,  and 
we  feel  as  though  one  or  two  of  these  recreants 
should  be  driven  from  God's  temple,  but  the  spirit 
of  kindness  reigns,  and  instead  of  blows  our  people 
favor  invitations  and  entreaties.  Yet  back  of  Mercy, 
Justice  stands,  and  when  the  one  can  not  persuade 
the  other  will  surely  compel. 

Later, — I  have  just  learned  that  a  dispatch  has 
been  received  from  Cincinnati  that  $16,000  have 
been  raised  there  to  "back"  our  whisky  men.  Send 
it  along,  gentlemen,  currency  is  scarce  up  here,  but 
we  will  see  you  and  go  double.  Cincinnati  can  not 
force  a  thing  on  this  community  which  we  will  not 
have.  "F." 


138  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

The  observant  reader  will  not  fail  to  note  the 
very  evident  quickening  of  the  hitherto  inactive 
and  inoperative  male  conscience  in  regard  to  the 
laws  which  had  for  so  long  remained  a  dead 
letter;  and  this  was  a  notable  result  everywhere. 
The  sight  of  gentle,  frail  women  turning  out  in 
the  most  inclement  weather,  marching  through 
rain,  snow  or  sleet,  entering  the  vilest  of  dens, 
amid  the  fumes  of  liquor  and  tobacco — a  place 
they  had  always  been  taught  they  should  not 
seem  to  see  in  passing,  or  even  refer  to — and 
there  kneeling  and  crying  to  God  to  have  mercy 
upon  and  touch  the  heart  of  the  seller  —  or, 
being  locked  out,  kneeling  on  the  pavement  or 
frozen  ground  and  thus  continuing  their  devo- 
tions through  the  whole  day,  and  into  days  and 
weeks,  was  indeed  a  sight  to  quicken  the  sensi- 
bilities of  any  Christian  man  into  wonderful 
activity.  What  wonder,  when  he  saw  his  own 
wife  and  daughter  among  them,  if  many  a  man 
under  the  impulse  of  the  newly  awakened  con- 
science and  regard  for  his  wife,  felt  as  though  it 
would  be  a  source  of  satisfaction  to  "go  in  and 
clean  'em  out."  Many  a  time  this  would  have 
been  done,  especially  where  insult  or  disrespect 
was  offered  to  the  women,  if  the  women  had  not 
stood  between  their  husbands  and  the  offenders. 

Ah,  me  !  if  they  had  not  lapsed  into  their  old 
lethargic  indifference  as  soon  as  the  exciting 
scenes  passed  from  their  sight,  we  would  not 
to-day,  thirteen  years  later,  be,  to  all  human 
appearances,  as  far  from  the  fruition  of  hope  as 


[EMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  139 

we  were  then.  Then,  indeed,  the  Lord  had 
virtually  given  the  enemy  into  our  hands ;  but 
the  men  failed  to  come  up  and  hold  the  citadel 
after  we  had  taken  it.  "We  thought  the  whole 
Christian  world  had  risen  up  against  us,  and  we 
knew  it  would  be  no  use  to  try  to  withstand 
them,"  said  the  saloonist. 

Alas !  alas  !  we  had  come  in  sight  of  the 
promised  land,  but  through  their  business  and 
political  complicity  with  the  traffic  they  were 
shorn  of  their  moral  strength  and  we  were  not 
permitted  to  enter  in.  And  so  have  we  been 
wandering,  and  the  probability  is  that  we  shall 
continue  to  wander  in  this  wilderness  of  sin  till 
we  make  up  the  measure  of  our  forty  years,  as 
the  children  of  disobedience  did  in  the  long  ago 
for  a  less  heinous  offense.  Who  can  count,  or 
who  will  stand  for  the  souls  that  shall  go  down 
to  the  drunkard's  eternity  as  the  years  roll  on. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


Reports  of  Washington,  Wilmington,  New  Vienna, 
Waynesville  and  Franklin 


rHOUGH  I  have  quoted  quite  at  length 
from  the  reports  of  the  beginning  of  the 
work  at  Washington  C.  H.,  I  find  in  the 
history  of  their  work  sent  me  by  the  President, 
Mrs.  Carpenter,  some  further  accounts  that  I 
am  sure  will  be  of  interest. 

Mass-meetings  were  held  nightly,  with  new 
victories  reported  constantly,  until  Friday,  Jan- 
uary 2d,  one  week  from  the  beginning  of  the 
work.  At  the  public  meeting  held  in  the  even- 
ing the  Secretary  reported  every  liquor-dealer 
unconditionally  surrendered,  —  some  having 
shipped  their  liquors  back  to  the  wholesale 
dealers,  others  poured  them  into  the  gutters, 
and  the  druggists  all  had  signed  the  druggists' 
pledge  ( which  was  to  the  effect  that  they  would 
sell  only  on  the  physician's  prescription  for 
medicinal  purposes  and  mechanical  uses).  Thus, 
a  campaign  of  prayer  and  song  had  in  eight  days 
closed  eleven  saloons  and  pledged  three  drug- 
stores to  sell  only  on  prescription. 

140 


MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE.  141 

At  first  men  had  wondered,  scoffed  and 
laughed,  then  criticized,  respected  and  yielded. 
Morning  prayer  and  mass-meetings  continued  to 
be  held  and  the  pledge  circulated,  and  commit- 
tees sent  out  to  aid  the  movement  elsewhere. 
( I  may  say  here  that  the  point  of  contention 
between  Hillsboro  and  Washington  was  that 
Hillsboro  moved  out  a  day  or  two  in  advance 
and  therefore  claimed  precedence  as  to  time, 
and  Washington  rid  the  town  of  the  saloons  in 
little  over  a  week,  and  so  claimed  precedence  as 
to  results,  and  indeed  because  of  their  wonderful 
success  it  was  at  first  known  as  the  "  Washing- 
ton movement. ")  To  proceed  with  the  narrative : 
Early  in  the  third  week  the  discouraging  news 
came  that  a  new  man  had  come  to  open  up  in 
one  of  the  deserted  saloons,  and  that  he  was 
backed  by  a  whisky  house  in  Cincinnati  to  the 
amount  of  $5,000,  to  break  down  the  movement. 
On  Wednesday,  January  I4th,  the  whisky  was 
unloaded  at  his  room.  About  forty  women 
were  on  the  ground  and  followed  the  liquor  in, 
and  remained,  holding  an  uninterrupted  prayer- 
meeting  all  day  and  until  eleven  o'clock  at  night. 
The  next  day,  though  bitter  cold,  was  spent  in 
the  same  place  and  manner,  without  fire  or 
chairs,  two  hours  of  that  time  the  women  being 
locked  in  while  the  proprietor  was  off  attending 
a  trial.  On  the  following  day,  the  coldest  day 
of  all  the  winter  of  1874,  the  women  were  locked 
out,  and  stood  on  the  street  holding  religious 
services  all  day  long.  Next  morning  a  tabernacle 


142  MEMORIES   OF   THE    CRUSADE. 

was  built  in  the  street  just  in  front  of  the  house, 
and  was  occupied  for  the  double  purpose  of 
watching  and  praying.  But  before  night  the 
sheriff  closed  the  saloon  and  the  proprietor  sur- 
rendered. 

A  short  time  after,  on  a  dying  bed,  this  four- 
days  liquor  dealer  sent  for  some  of  the  women 
to  tell  them  their  songs  and  prayers  had  never 
ceased  to  ring  in  his  ears,  and  begged  them  to 
pray  again  in  his  behalf.  So  he  passed  away. 

But  there  were  two  places  outside  the  corpor- 
ation that  the  ladies  saw  must  be  closed  or  the 
work  of  death  still  go  on.  I  will  let  my  friend 
Beadle,  in  his  own  peculiarly  lively  fashion,  give 
this  part  of  the  Washington  "Whisky  war." 
He  says : 

I  reached  Washington  at  noon  of  January  20th, 
and  seeking  Mr.  Beck's  beer-garden,  found  him  in  a 
state  of  terrible  nervousness,  as  the  ladies  had  spent 
the  forenoon  in  his  place.  He  evidently  regarded 
me  as  a  spy,  but  was  much  molined  when  I  answered 
that  I  was  only  a  journalist,  and  made  voluminous 
complaints  in  high  Dutch  and  low  English. 

"  I  got  no  witnesses.  Dem  vimen,  dey  set  up  a 
shob  on  me.  But  you  don't  been  a  bitual  drunkard  ? 
Oh,  no,  you  don't  look  like  him.  Veil,  coom  in,  coom 
in.  Vat  you  want,  peer  or  vine  ?  I  dells  you  dem 
vimens  is  shust  awful.  Py  shinks,  dey  build  a  house 
right  in  de  shtreet  und  shtay  mit  a  man  all  day,  a 
singin'  and  oder  foolishness.  But  dey  don't  get  in 
here  once  again  already." 

In  obedience  to  his  instruction  I  had  entered  by 
a  side  door — the  front  was  locked  and  barred — to 
find  four  customers  indulging  in  liquor,  beer  and 
pigs'-feet  One  announced  himself  as  an  original 
granger,  the  second  as  a  retired  sailor,  while  the 
others  were  non-committal.  They  stated  that  two 
spies  had  just  appealed  for  admission.  Men  who 


MEMORIES   OF   THE    CRUSADE.  143 

would  come  in  and  drink,  they  were  habitual  drunk- 
ards under  the  Adair  law.  I  find  it  everywhere  to 
be  the  great  horror  of  saloon-keepers.  It  allows 
wife,  child,  or  other  relative  particularly  interested, 
to  prosecute  for  sale  of  liquor  to  husband  or  father, 
and  almost  any  one  may  prosecute  for  sale  of  liquor 
to  an  habitual  drunkard. 

Hereupon  Mr.  Beadle  indulges  in  a  little 
moralizing  on  the  constitutionality  of  the  law, 
and  the  chance  it  made  here  for  black-mailing. 
It  is  always  a  question  with  some  men  when  a 
law  proves  itself  efficient  against  the  liquor  traiTic, 
whether  it  is  constitutional,  and  lest  it  may  be, 
they  hasten,  under  bribe  or  lash  of  the  liquor- 
archy,  to  break  its  force,  as  that  of  the  Adair 
law  was  broken  shortly  after  this. 

He  continues : 

Mr.  Beck  kept  open  house  all  that  night.  The 
sounds  of  revelry  were  plainly  heard  in  town,  and  in 
the  morning  several  drunken  men  came  into  town, 
one  of  whom  tumbled  down  in  a  livery-stable  and 
went  to  sleep  in  the  manger,  from  which  he  was 
carried  to  the  lock-up. 

Matters  were  evidently  coming  to  a  crisis,  and  I 
went  out  early;  but  the  ladies  reached  there  in  force 
just  before  me.  I  met  Mr.  Beck  hurrying  into  town 
to  consult  a  lawyer,  or  as  he  phrased  it,  "to  see  mine 
gounsel,  ven  I  no  got  a  right  to  my  own  broperty." 

The  main  body  of  the  ladies  soon  arrived  and  took 
up  a  position  with  right  center  on  the  door-step,  the 
wings  extending  each  way  beyond  the  corners  of  the 
house,  and  a  rearward  column  along  the  walk  to  the 
gate.  In  ludicrous  contrast  the  routed  revelers  who 
had  been  scared  out  of  the  saloon,  stood  in  a  little 
knot  fifty  feet  away,  still  gnawing  at  the  pigs'-feet 
they  held  onto  in  their  hurried  flight,  while  I  took  a 
convenient  seat  on  the  fence.  The  ladies  then  sang : 

"  Oh,  do  not  be  discouraged, 

For  Jesus  is  your  friend  ; 
He  will  give  you  grace  to  conquer 
And  keep  you  to  the  end." 


144  MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

As  the  twenty  or  more  clear,  sweet  voices  mingled 
in  the  chorus — 

"  I'm  glad  I'm  in  this  army," 

the  effect  was  surprising.  I  felt  all  the  enthusiasm  of 
the  occasion,  while  the  pigs'-feet  party,  if  they  did 
not  feel  guilty,  certainly  looked  so.  The  singing  was 
followed  by  a  prayer  from  Mrs.  Mills  Gardner. 
She  prayed  for  the  blessing  of  God  on  the  temperance 
cause  generally,  and  in  this  place  in  particular,  then 
for  Mr.  Beck,  his  family  and  friends,  and  all  that 
pertained  to  him,  and  closed  with  an  eloquent  plea 
for  guidance  in  the  difficult  and  delicate  task  they 
had  undertaken  ;  it  was  eminently  fitting  to  the  place 
and  the  occasion.  As  the  concluding  sentences  were 
being  uttered,  Mr.  Beck  and  his  "gounsel"  arrived. 
The  ladies  paid  no  attention  to  either,  but  broke 
forth  in  loud  strains  : 

"  Must  Jesus  bear  the  cross  alone  ? 
No,  there's  a  cross  for  me." 

Then  the  lawyer  borrowed  some  of  my  paper, 
whispering  at  the  same  time  :  "  I  must  take  down 
their  names;  guess  I  shall  have  to  prosecute  some  of 
them  before  we  stop  this  thing." 

I  should  need  the  pen  of  an  Irving,  and  the  pencil 
of  a  Darley,  to  give  any  adequate  idea  of  the  scene. 
On  one  side,  a  score  of  elegant  ladies,  singing  with 
all  the  earnestness  of  impassioned  nature;  a  few 
yards  away  a  knot  of  disturbed  revelers,  uncertain 
whether  to  stand  or  fly;  half-way  between,  the 
nervous  Beck,  bobbing  around  like  a  case  of  fiddle- 
strings  with  a  hundred  pounds  of  lager  beer  fat  hung 
on  them,  and  on  the  fence  by  the  ladies  a  cold- 
blooded lawyer  and  excited  reporter,  scribbling 
away  as  if  their  lives  depended  on  it.  It  was  painful 
from  its  very  intensity. 

The  song  ended,  the  presiding  lady  called  upon 
Mrs.  Wendell,  and  again  arose  the  voice  of  prayer, 
so  clear,  so  sweet,  so  full  of  pleading  tenderness, 
that  it  seemed  she  would,  by  the  strength  of  womanly 
love,  compel  the  very  heavens  to  open  and  send 
down  in  answer  a  spark  of  divine  grace  that  would 
turn  the  saloon-keeper  from  his  purpose.  The  sky, 
which  had  been  overcast  all  morning,  began  to 


:**• 


MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE.       145 

clear,  the  occasional  drops  of  rain  ceased  to  fall,  and 
a  gentle  south  wind  made  the  air  soft  and  balmy. 
It  almost  seemed  that  nature  had  joined  in  the 
prayer.  Again  the  ladies  sang  : 

"  Are  there  no  foes  for  me  to  face," 
with  the  camp-meeting  chorus, 

"Oh,  how  I  love  Jesus, 

Because  he  first  loved  me." 

As  the  song  concluded,  the  lawyer  suddenly  stepped 
forward  and  said :  '*  Now,  ladies,  I  have  a  word  to 
say  before  this  performance  goes  any  further.  Mr. 
Beck  has  employed  me  as  attorney.  He  can  not 
speak  good  English  and  I  speak  for  him.  He  is 
engaged  in  a  legitimate  business,  and  you  are  tres- 
passing on  his  property  and  right.  If  this  thing  is 
carried  any  further  you  will  be  called  to  account  in 
the  court,  and  I  can  assure  you  the  court  will  sustain 
the  man.  He  has  talked  with  you  all  he  desires  to. 
He  does  not  want  to  put  you  out  forcibly;  that 
would  be  unmanly,  and  he  does  not  want  to  act 
rudely.  But  he  tells  you  to  go.  As  his  attorney,  I 
now  warn  you  to  desist  from  any  further  annoyance." 

Again  the  ladies  sang — 

"  My  soul  be  on  thy  guard, 
Ten  thousand  foes  arise," 

and  Mrs.  Carpenter  followed  with  a  fervent  prayer 
for  the  lawyer  and  his  client ;  but  they  had  fled  from 
the  scene,  leaving  the  house  locked  up. 

After  taking  counsel,  the  ladies  decided  to  leave 
Mr.  Beck's  premises  and  take  a  position  in  an  adjoin- 
ing lot.  They  sent  for  the  "  tabernacle,"  a  rude 
frame  building  they  had  used  in  front  of  Slater's 
saloon.  This  they  erected  on  an  adjoining  lot,  put 
up  an  immense  light  to  illuminate  the  entrance  to  the 
beer-garden,  and  kept  up  a  guard  from  early  morning 
till  midnight. 

Legal  proceedings  were  at  once  instituted  and  two 
weeks  afterwards  the  following  dispatch  appeared  in 
the  Cincinnati  papers : 

"WASHINGTON  C.  H.,  Feb.  4.— Tell  Beadle,  of 
the  Commercial,  that  my  gounsel  has  had  demperance 
meeting  and  tabernacle  abated  as  a  nuisance. 

CHAS.  BECK." 

(10) 


146  MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

It  was  too  true.  An  injunction  was  granted 
and  then  the  temperance  people  had  recourse  to 
law.  A  Mrs.  Frazier  brought  suit  against  Sul- 
livan and  Beck,  under  the  Adair  law,  and  the 
former  was  soon  compelled  to  surrender.  Mr. 
Beck  held  out  for  a  short  time,  then  yielded 
good-humoredly  to  the  ladies,  and  the  place  was 
once  more  clear. 

It  was  the  first  great  victory  of  the  campaign, 
the  first  demonstration  of  the  power  of  women 
to  do  what  men,  with  fifty  years  legislation,  had 
failed  to  accomplish.  The  bells  of  the  town 
rang  out  with  joy.  Great  excitement  prevailed 
and  the  chief  business  for  a  few  days  was  the 
interchange  of  congratulations. 

Wilmington,  the  county  seat  of  Clinton 
county,  was  the  next  place  to  fall  into  line.  As 
I  see  by  the  county  paper  of  January  8th,  Rev. 
A.  C.  Hirst,  of  Washington  C.  H.,  hastened 
over  to  tell  the  neighbors  the  glad  tidings,  that 
a  way  had  been  found  by  which  the  rum-seller 
could  be  reached,  what  the  glorious  result  had 
been  in  Washington,  and  with  fervid  eloquence 
so  wrought  up  the  good  people  of  Wilmington 
that  they  at  once  with  enthusiasm  set  to  work, 
men  and  women,  to  organize  for  the  siege.  I 
note  the  familiar  names  of  those  days  :  Revs. 
Bingman,  Runyan,  Richards,  Kelly,  Mary 
Hadley  and  Mrs.  Runyan.  On  the  evening  of 
January  8th,  the  men  effected  an  organization 
and  adopted  the  following  resolution : 


MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE.  147 

"Resolved,  That  this  meeting  pledge  its  support  to 
the  ladies  of  Wilmington  in  the  temperance  move- 
ment, with  our  sympathy,  prayers  and  means." 

Whenever  the  men  came  and  stood  by  the 
women  with  their  means,  moral,  and  if  need  be, 
legal  support,  it  was  found  to  be  a  very  convinc- 
ing argument  to  the  average  rum-seller's  mind.  I 
have  maintained,  first  and  last,  that  the  move- 
ment was  not  woman's  nor  man's,  but  God's; 
but  that  every  man  and  woman  had  a  duty  to 
perform  in  forwarding  it. 

It  will  yet  require  the  wisdom,  prayers, means 
and  labor  of  Christendom,  men  and  women  of 
whatever  creed  or  station, to  conquer  this  hydra- 
headed  demon,  the  liquor  traffic.  The  reason 
that  we  have  not  long  ago  conquered  it  is  that 
we  have  not  united  our  strength  against  it,  as  we 
should  have  done. 

The  day  we  do,  the  bells  will  ring  out  peans 
of  gladness  all  over  the  land,  for  the  victory  will 
be  ours. 

The  following  preamble  and  resolutions,  pre- 
sented by  Rhoda  Worthington,  have  a  good, 
strong  ring  to  them  : 

WHEREAS,  We,  the  women  of  Wilmington,  are 
called  upon,  we  believe  in  the  Providence  of  God, to 
act  in  the  suppression  of  the  gigantic  evil,  the  sale  of 
intoxicating  drink  in  our  midst. 

WHEREAS,  Not  a  single  mother  in  our  broad  and 
otherwise  free  land,  can  fold  her  loved  child  in  her 
arms,  either  son  or  daughter,  and  say  without  a  fear, 
"  My  child  is  safe  from  the  fell  destroyer,  my  en- 
deared home  is  secure  from  its  invasion  "  for  the 
proudest,  the  noblest  and  bravest  on  earth  share  a 
like  fate,  once  drawn  into  the  whirlpool  of  this  mon- 
ster, intemperance,  and 


148  MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE. 

WHEREAS,  The  suppression  thereof  is  not  the  work 
of  a  day  or  an  hour,  and  when  the  places  of  sale  are 
once  closed  the  work  is  merely  begun,  and  as  we 
believe  "  in  union  there  is  strength,"  therefore  be  it 

Resolved,  ist,  That  we  keep  ourselves  organized, 
either  to  ourselves  or  in  conjunction  with  the  noble 
men  who  are  alike  with  us  interested  in  the  cause, 
laying  aside  all  conflicting  opinions  of  different  names, 
presenting  a  solid  front  to  the  foe,  not  only  to  sup- 
press this  great  evil,  but  to  prevent  it  from  ever  again 
entering  our  borders. 

2nd.  That  such  organization  shall  meet  as  often  as 
deemed  necessary,  at  such  time  and  place  as  may  be 
designated,  acting  as  a  vigilance  committee  on  the 
subject;  and  when  any  person  may  give  reasonable 
ground  for  suspicion  of  being  engaged  in  the  traffic, 
care  in  the  love  of  Jesus  be  extended  to  such  an  one 
without  delay. 

3rd.  That  whatever  success  may  crown  our  efforts 
in  this  direction,  all  thanks,  all  praise,  and  all  honor 
belongeth  to  Him  alone  to  whom  all  praise  and  honor 
is  due. 

Would  that  all,  everywhere,  had  always  re- 
membered this  third  resolution. 

On  Monday,  the  5th,  the  women  marched  out 
forty-three  strong,  while  the  church-bells  pealed 
forth  to  the  dismayed  rum-sellers,  ' '  The  women 
are  coming."  Thus  under  the  leadership  of 
that  beautiful,  sweet-spirited  Quakeress,  Rhoda 
Worthington,  the  women  of  Wilmington  opened 
up  a  battle.  Mrs.  Runyan,  wife  of  the  Metho- 
dist minister  of  the  place  at  the  time,  was  in- 
duced by  the  earnest  entreaties  of  the  good 
Quaker  ladies  to  join  them,  and  very  soon  her 
tongue  was  loosed  and  her  hitherto  buried  talents 
brought  into  requisition  in  behalf  of  the  glorious 
cause,  as  a  popular  lecturer.  Though,  as  she 
has  told  me,  she  could  not  at  first  entertain  the 


MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE.  149 

thought,  it  was  too  terrible,  and  she  even  brought 
her  keen  edged  sarcasm  to  play  on  the  reverend 
brother  who  came  to  preach  this  new  and  un- 
heard-of mode  of  warfare.  Very  many  ladies 
have  said  that  at  first  they  had  a  great  struggle 
with  themselves  to  evercome  their  prejudice  and 
to  see  their  duty,  but,  taking  it  up,  such  a 
blessed  baptism  came  upon  them  as  they  had 
never  experienced  before,  and  which  they  would 
not  exchange  for  all  the  previous  religious  expe- 
rience of  their  lives.  Some  who  had  been  pro- 
fessors of  religion  long  years,  when  going  forth 
bearing  the  cross  and  the  reproach,  and  kneeling 
in  those  dark  abodes  of  sin  for  the  first  time  in 
their  lives,  had  their  souls  bathed  in  such  a  flood 
of  ineffable  bliss  as  they  had  never  before  con- 
ceived. 

Very  few  of  us,  living  in  homes  of  ease  and 
social  surroundings,  ever  had  occasion  to  prove 
our  love  of  the  Master  in  any  work  that  did  not 
receive  the  laudation  of  the  world.  Jesus  now 
called  to  His  hand-maidens,  "  Daughter,  wilt 
thou  follow  me  even  into  the  haunts  of  vice  and 
crime  ?  Thou  wilt  find  there  many  a  wandering 
sheep."  And  responding,  we  received  into  our 
own  souls  the  true  riches  of  which  the  world 
knoweth  not. 

With  the  practical  beginning  indicated  above, 
the  Wilmington  women  made  a  short  campaign 
of  it.  Among  the  women  here  was  found  our 
present  talented  State  Secretary,  Mrs.  Antoinette 
Clevenger 


I5O  MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE. 

New  Vienna,  a  small  place  in  Clinton  County, 
became  quite  noted  because  of  the  conflict  the 
women  had  there,  especially  with  one  man.  They 
began  their  work  on  January  I3th,  and  in  a  week 
all  the  saloons  were  closed  but  two,  one  kept  by 
a  German  woman,  the  other  by  J.  C.  VanPelt, 
who,  because  of  his  low,  coarse  manners  and  ex- 
treme profanity,  acquired  the  name  of  the  wick- 
edest man  in  Ohio.  He  swore  that  all  the  prayers 
of  all  the  women  in  New  Vienna  would  never 
move  him,  and  that  he  would  baptize  the  women 
with  beer  if  they  came  to  his  place.  When  they 
did  come,  he  ordered  them  to  leave  within  a 
specified  time.  They  returned  the  next  day, 
and  while  praying  that  the  Lord  would  baptize 
him  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  he  threw  a  bucket  of 
dirty  water  on  them,  saying  with  a  profane  oath, 
"  I'll  baptize  you."  More  water  was  thrown, 
but  the  ladies  kept  on.  Then  he  resorted  to 
beer,  throwing  it  up  to  the  ceiling,  and  letting 
it  come  down  where  it  would.  The  ladies  con- 
tinued their  devotions. 

At  length  his  beer  began  to  get  low,  and  he 
had  to  turn  the  vessel  to  one  side  to  dip  it.  Just 
then  one  of  the  ladies  sprang  forward  and  with 
the  utmost  good  humor  begged  Mr.  VanPelt  to 
let  her  assist  him,  and  she  held  his  vessel  atilt  for 
him,  so  he  could  the  more  easily  dip  his  slop. 
This  was  so  unexpected  a  turn,  that  it  quite  van- 
quished him,  and  his  rage  gave  way  to  a  half  sup- 
pressed smile.  The  ladies  drew  off  their  forces 
and  repaired  to  the  Friends'  meeting-house. 


MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE.  151 

The  day  was  a  very  cold  one,  but  the  church 
was  made  warm  by  a  large,  red-hot  stove.  And 
as  they  gathered  about  it  and  began  to  thaw 
out,  they  have  assured  me  that  such  fumes  and 
perfumes  as  arose  from  their  drab  shawls,  muffs 
and  water-proofs  certainly  were  unprecedented 
in  a  Friends'  meeting.  I  have  always  had  a  sort 
of  theory  of  my  own,  that  the  grimes  and  soils 
of  earth  would  not  stick  to  a  Friend's  garments, 
but  I  have  to  make  an  exception  in  the  case  of 
beer,  for  the  ladies  reported  that  those  neat  and 
tasteful  bonnets  of  theirs,  with  the  white  ribbon 
ties,  unmistakably  bore  marks  of  their  conflict 
with  sin. 

On  the  morrow  they  returned  to  the  charge. 
But  the  enemy  flourished  an  ax  and  ground  his 
teeth  with  rage.  He  was  arrested  by  the  men 
for  illegal  selling  and  put  in  jail,  bailed  out,  re- 
arrested,  and  again  bailed  out.  His  bitterness 
and  determination  intensified.  No  surrender  for 
him.  But  it  was  observed  that  his  place  was 
directly  on  the  line  of  railroad  land. 

The  ladies  sent  to  railroad  authorities  and  asked 
permission  to  occupy  that  particular  position  of 
ground  directly  in  front  of  Mr.  VanPelt's  saloon, 
which  of  course  was  granted.  Lo !  Mr.  Van- 
Pelt  was  checkmated,  and  the  ladies  went  on 
with  their  devotions.  He  had  indeed  acquired 
a  widespread  notoriety,  but  it  was  not  paying. 
Those  women  had  sat  down  as  Grant  did  before 
Vicksburg,  determined  to  fight  it  out  on  that 
line  if  it  took  all  winter  and  summer.  They 


I $2  MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

were  regular,  devout,  persistent.  They  divided 
their  time  between  the  woman,  Rice,  and  this 
last  citadel  by  the  railroad.  The  customers  fell 
off.  They  could  not  crowd  in  past  the  women. 
Mr.  VanPelt  grew  serious.  He  began  to  reflect. 
Was  he  struck  under  conviction  ?  We  will  give 
him  the  benefit  of  the  doubt. 

At  length  he  sent  out  his  proposals  of  capitu- 
lation. The  people  could  not  at  first  believe  he 
was  sincere,  or  meant  it  in  good  faith.  But  he 
sent  for  the  ministers  and  made  a  full  surrender 
to  them  and  the  women. 

He  requested  Rev.  D.  Hill  and  Rev.  H.  H. 
Witter  to  roll  out  the  barrels,  and  seizing  an  ax 
he  said,  this  was  the  same  he  had  used  to  terrify 
the  ladies,  and  striking  it  into  one  barrel  after 
another,  the  liquor  flowed  into  the  gutter  while 
the  ladies  stood  by  singing  joyful  songs  of  thanks- 
giving for  this  blessed  ending  of  their  siege. 

A  week  later,  VanPelt  was  in  Springfield  with 
Dr.  Lewis,  and  addressed  an  immense  audience 
in  Black's  Opera  House.  I  made  him  a  subject 
of  close  observation  and  study.  I  was  disposed 
to  believe  him  sincere  ;  but  knew  from  all  his 
previous  life  experience,  he  could  not  at  once, 
if  ever,  rise  to  the  high  plain  of  the  Christian  prin- 
ciple of  doing  right  because  God  demands  it. 
I  was  led  to  believe  that  the  hope  of  bettering  his 
condition  financially  had  a  good  deal  to  do  with 
his  action.  He  had  never  before  had  any  other 
means  placed  before  him,  and  it  is  possible  that 
from  the  assurance  of  the  friends  that  they  would 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  153 

help  him,  and  the  encouragement  given  by  Dr. 
Lewis  to  go  into  the  lecture  field,  it  may  have  oc- 
curred to  him  that  it  would  pay  even  better  than 
selling  liquor. 

It  was  certainly  more  respectable,  and  people 
made  much  of  him.  I  felt  much  solicitude  lest  dis- 
appointment would  disgust  and  turn  him  aside, 
and  felt  sure  financial  success  was  very  essential, 
and  helped  him  what  I  could. 

Dr.  Lewis  had  even  raised  his  hopes  of  going 
to  Europe  with  him  in  the  interest  of  the  temper- 
ance cause. 

But  the  poor  fellow  was  doomed  to  a  great 
disappointment  in  the  matter  of  money.  He  did 
not  succeed  as  a  lecturer.  His  own  story,  told 
in  very  poor  English,  and  so  tinctured  with  pot- 
house phraseology,  soon  became  thread-bare,  only 
being  tolerated  at  any  time  by  the  hope  of  saving 
him.  The  people  were  not  as  liberal  as  they 
should  have  been,  I  fear ;  they  are  not  apt  to  be. 
I  was  told  of  his  going  to  one  town  to  speak,  but 
getting  scarcely  enough  to  pay  his  expenses, 
and  that  the  saloon-keepers  told  him  if  he  had 
spoken  for  them,  they  would  have  handed  him 
five  dollars  apiece.  It  takes  grace  to  withstand 
such  pro  and  con  arguments  as  these. 

He  was  heard  of  afterwards  in  Wilmington, 
keeping  a  very  low,  disreputable  place,  and  was 
suspected  of  setting  fire  to  the  house  of  the 
Friends'  minister  who  had  attempted  to  prose- 
cute him.  The  last  I  heard  ofhim  he  was  in  a 
western  penitentiary.  Alas,  the  seed  had  not 
depth  of  earth. 


154  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

Waynesville,  in  Warren  county,  is  a  pleasant 
village  on  a  beautiful  declivity  overlooking  the 
Miami  river  and  valley.  Here  the  ladies  opened 
up  the  work  with  great  energy  on  the  1 8th  of 
January.  Led  by  Mrs.  Jane  Jones,  a  minister 
of  the  Friends,  they  visited  Raper's  saloon.  As 
they  filed  in,  Mrs.  Jones  extended  her  hand  to 
the  saloon-keeper,  saying,  "  How's  thee?"  and 
asked  permission  to  pray  with  him,  which  he 
courteously  granted;  and  leaning  against  the 
bar  they  all  knelt,  and  Mrs.  Jones,  in  a  spirit 
humble  and  touching,  cried,  "Our  Father  in 
Heaven,  who  knowest  the  inmost  thoughts  of 
all  hearts,  who  cannot  be  deceived,  and  will  not 
be  mocked,  we  come  again  in  a  sense  of  our 
own  weakness,  needing  great  help  from  Thee, 
to  do  what  little  is  in  our  power  for  the  relief 
and  salvation  of  Thy  creatures  and  to  Thy  honor. 
We  come  again  in  the  name  of  Jesus,  asking 
Thee  to  put  words  in  our  mouths  and  wisdom  in 
our  hearts,  when  we  talk  to  this,  our  dear  brother. 
We  implore  Thee  to  bless  his  dear  family.  We 
ask  again,  as  we  have  often  asked  before,  that 
Thou  wouldst  send  Thy  word  with  power  into 
the  heart  of  this  dear  brother,  that  he  may  give 
up  this  terrible  sin  that  has  so  long  kept  him 
away  from  God.  Thou  who  hast  moved  so 
many  hearts,  in  mercy  condescend  to  move 
upon  the  heart  of  this  man,  that  he  may  no 
longer  endanger  his  immortal  soul.  Oh,  help  him 
to  say, '  Let  others  do  as  they  may,  as  for  me,  I 
will  get  rid  of  this  traffic,  which  is  the  cause  of 


MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE.  155 

so  much  sin  and  suffering. '  Oh,  Lord,  have  we 
not  seen  and  suffered  enough  of  this  great  evil, 
which  fills  our  land  with  ruin,  till  our  country  is 
trembling  on  the  verge  of  destruction  ?  Often, 
we  know  this  brother  has  trembled  at  Thy  word, 
like  Felix  of  old,  but  still  stands  where  he  did, 
saying,  '  Go  thy  way  for  this  time,  when  I  have 
a  convenient  season,  I  will  call  for  thee. ' 

Lord,  bless  this  man  who  sits  here  writing. 
Give  him  wisdom,  that  he  may  know  the  truth 
in  all  its  beauty  and  importance ;  and  grant  him 
power  to  convey  that  truth  unto  others,  to  the 
good  of  their  souls.  Impress  upon  his  heart  that 
many,  yea,  very  many  are  dependent  upon  him, 
that  if  his  own  soul  were  all  that  he  imperiled 
it  were  enough  ;  but  that  thousands  look  to  him 
for  exact  truth.  He  cannot  say,  '  Am  I  my 
brother's  keeper?'  for  the  souls  of  many  may 
be  dragged  down  to  perdition  by  error  and  false- 
hood. Help  him  to  realize  the  importance  of 
his  words.  And  may  Thy  blessing  rest  upon  all 
this  assembly,  and  finally  may  we  meet  again 
at  thy  right  hand,  we  ask  for  Jesus'  sake.  Amen.  " 

It  was  not  long  till  Mr.  Raper  surrendered  and 
gave  up  his  business.  When  he  notified  the 
women  that  he  proposed  to  give  up,  they  came 
in  procession,  sang  and  praised  God,  while  the 
band  discoursed  sweet  music;  and  the  cannon, 
having  also  been  brought  out  for  the  occasion, 
sent  the  glad  news  reverberating  up  and  down 
the  valley  lu.-tween  the  hills  for  many  a  mile. 
Then  it  was  not  very  long  till  another  keeper 


156  MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

yielded.  His  little  son,  some  ten  or  eleven  years 
old,  taking  a  lively  interest  in  the  affair,  in- 
sisted that  the  cannon  must  be  brought  out  also 
for  his  father's  surrender,  and  as  much  demon- 
stration made  as  over  the  surrender  of  their 
neighbor,  which  was  done,  greatly  to  the  delight 
of  the  little  fellow. 

It  was  noticeable  in  many  instances  that  the 
children  of  the  saloon-keepers  felt  keenly  the 
disgrace  that  attached  to  their  father's*  business, 
and  were  glad  as  any  one  when  they  gave  it  up. 
One  of  the  saloon-keepers  here  had  sold  liquor 
against  the  wish  of  his  wife,  who  was  a  very 
worthy  woman.  She  was  so  opposed  to  his  busi- 
ness that  she  would  not  accept  any  of  his  ill-gotten 
gain  for  her  support,  but  worked  at  dress-making 
by  which  to  earn  her  living.  When  her  husband 
quit  selling  liquor  and  went  into  another  busi- 
ness, she  gave  up  her  work.  But  the  sad  truth 
must  be  told,  that  it  was  not  long  till  he  went 
back  to  his  soul-destroying  business,  and  the 
brave-hearted  woman  took  up  her  dress-making 
again. 

To  another  man  here,  the  ladies  upon  his  sur- 
render presented  a  Bible  appropriately  inscribed. 
He  seemed  so  pleased  and  so  determined  to  live 
a  new  and  better  life,  that  he  said  he  would 
treasure  the  gift  always,  and  when  he  was  buried 
he  wanted  it  placed  on  his  heart.  But,  in  this 
case,  the  wife's  influence  was  so  adverse  that  he 
went  back  to  selling  liquor  again,  and  it  was  not 
long  till  he  died  a  violent  death,  the  exact  nature 
of  which  I  cannot  recall. 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

It  was  in  Waynesville  that  the  Crusade  found 
Miss  Esther  Pugh,  who  has  since  developed  such 
grand  talents,  and  is  known  by  the  White  Rib- 
boners  eveiywhere  as  our  efficient  and  faithful 
treasurer.  The  man  at  Corwin,  just  across  the 
river  from  Waynesville,  and  near  the  railroad 
station,  did  not  surrender,  though  the  women 
continued  to  visit  and  pray  with  him  for  a  long 
time.  In  this  case  the  word  was  verified  which 
saith, '  The  wicked  shall  not  live  out  half  his  days. " 
While  dealing  out  the  deadly  poison  to  others, 
he  imbibed  it  all  too  freely  himself,  and  it  was  not 
long  till  fatal  disease  fastened  itself  upon  him 
and  he  was  laid  on  the  bed  of  death.  His  wife, 
who  had  opposed  him  when  he  seemed  disposed 
to  surrender  in  answer  to  the  pleadings  of  the 
women,  now  became  alarmed,  and  asked  him  if 
she  might  send  for  the  priest  to  pray  with  him. 
"No,"  he  exclaimed,  "  it  is  too  late.  Oh, if  I  had 
only  yielded  when  the  Christian  women  prayed 
for  me  and  begged  me  to  give  up  my  business  ; 
but  now  it  is  too  late."  So  he  died.  The  wife 
went  on  with  the  business,  and  was  still  selling 
the  last  time  I  passed  down  the  road.  The  great 
danger  of  tampering  with  sin  is  its  hardening  in- 
fluence upon  heart  and  conscience. 

Franklin  began  the  Crusade  on  January  2ist. 
There  were  seven  saloons,  and  four  were  closed 
by  the  3rd  of  February.  I  deem  it  important  to 
mention  that  in  Franklin  a  band  of  Christians 
had  held  weekly  meeting  for  some  two  or  three 
years  before  the  great  uprising,  to  pray  for  the 


158  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

overthrow  of  the  liquor  traffic  in  the  country. 
Another  evidence  that  the  Lord  was*  impressing 
on  the  hearts  of  his  people  in  so  many  different 
places,  that  while  He  had  borne  long  with  the 
great  evil  and  even  had  seemed  to  wink  at  the 
ignorance  and  indifference  of  the  people,  He  was 
now  calling  them  to  repentance,  and  to  active 
warfare  against  the  great,  overshadowing  sin  of 
the  age,  as  works  meet  for  repentance.  The 
citizens  raised  a  guarantee  fund  to  sustain  the 
ladies  in  any  cases  of  prosecution  that  might  de- 
velop out  of  their  work.  They  also  formed  a 
Temperance  Union  to  watch  the  future  opera- 
tions of  any  who  might  attempt  to  intrude  their 
traffic  upon  them.  Pity  that  they  so  soon  grew 
weary  in  well-doing. 

On  one  occasion  a  band  of  eighteen  ladies,  one 
a  devoted  woman  of  eighty  two  years,  visited 
a  saloon-keeper,  considered  the  hardest  in  the 
place,  entering  unexpectedly  at  6  o'clock  in 
the  morning.  They  had  only  left  him  at 
midnight  the  night  before.  At  9  o'clock  he 
locked  his  door,  telling  his  clerk  to  let  the  ladies 
out  when  he  pleased,  but  to  let  no  one  in,  and  left. 
A  large  and  sympathetic  crowd  stood  outside, 
awaiting  the  turn  of  events.  And  public  senti- 
ment was  setting  so  strongly  in  favor  of  the 
ladies  that  the  least  insult  or  rudeness  shown 
them  would  have  resulted  in  violence  on  the 
part  of  the  men.  The  rest  of  the  sisters,  with 
the  men,  tarried  at  the  church  for  their  usual 
morning  prayer-meeting. 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

At  the  close,  they  formed  their  line  of  march 
to  make  their  usual  visitation.  Coming  to  this  sa- 
loon where  their  sisters  were  in  prison,  they 
stopped  and  joined  them  in  singing  the  sweet 
songs  with  which  they  were  whiling  away  the 
hours  of  their  durance.  At  noon  warm  dinners 
were  brought  them.  In  the  course  of  the  after- 
noon the  proprietor  sent  his  attorney  to  offer  a 
compromise.  But  he  was  assured  that  uncondi- 
tional surrender  was  the  only  terms.  His  saloon 
was  closed.  Miss  Sarah  Butler,  quite  a  young 
lady,  but  a  devoted  Christian,  did  effective  service 
here. 

The  reporter  of  the  New  York  Tribune,  of  Dr. 
Lewis'  party,  was  so  struck  with  her  devout, 
plaintive  supplication,  as  well  as  with  her  remark- 
able utterance  before  Hunger's  saloon,  that  he 
reported  the  prayer  entire  to  his  paper. 

At  the  Columbus  Convention,  among  others 
being  called  out,  she  gave  in  such  simple,  unaf- 
fected, yet  touching  manner,  an  account  of  the 
work  in  Franklin,  that  in  that  great  assembly  of 
twelve  hundred  there  was  scarcely  a  dry  eye. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


Visit  to  Lagonda  House— Dio  Lewis  and  Van  Pelt. 


N  SPRINGFIELD  our  work  was  grow- 
ing in  numbers  and  influence,  but  all  too 
slowly  for  my  impatient  heart.  And  I 
was  coming  between  two  fires,  I  might  almost 
call  it,  for  while  some  were  growing  very  impa- 
tient to  move  out,  others  were  either  as  yet  de- 
cidedly opposed  to  the  crusade  method  or  un- 
able to  bring  themselves  to  the  point  of  taking  up 
such  a  fearful  cross  as  it  seemed  to  them  then. 
To  add  to  my  trouble  and  perplexity,  many  of 
the  brethren  were  doubtful  of  the  expediency  of 
the  method  in  so  large  a  place.  I  was  not  my- 
self sanguine  of  an  ultimate  success.  But  I  could 
see  that  the  whole  community  was  in  a  state  of 
expectancy,  even  the  saloon-keepers  were  look- 
ing for  us.  It  seemed  that  we  had  come  to  a 
point  in  our  work  where  there  was  nothing  left 
for  us  but  to  go  forward,  or  lose  qjjuch  vantage- 
ground  that  we  had  now  attained. 

Other  cities  were  waiting  to  see  what  Spring- 
field would  do,  and  if  she  would  be  able  success- 
fully to  carry  on  the  visiting  method.  The  bur- 
den became  almost  too  heavy  to  be  borne.  I 

160 


MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE.  l6l 

really  wished  the  Lord  would  lay  me  on  a  bed 
of  sickness,  that  I  might  feel  relieved  of  this  ter- 
rible agony  of  suspense  and  responsibility.  How 
I  wept  and  prayed  in  the  night-time,  the  walls  of 
my  chamber,  if  gifted  with  speech,  could  testify. 
Our  morning  prayer-meetings  were  well  attended 
and  much  interest  was  manifest,  but  how  to  con- 
centrate this  interest  into  a  united,  determined 
purpose  of  action,  was  the  sore  and  perplexing 
problem.  Frequently,  as  our  meetings  were  in 
progress,  word  by  letter,  messenger  or  telegram 
would  be  brought  in,  of  the  success  of  the  work 
elsewhere,  and  with  the  best  logic  and  eloquence 
I  could  command,  I  endeavored  to  fan  the 
spark  of  euthusiasrn  the  news  would  excite  into 
a  flame.  Several  of  our  brethren  also  spoke 
very  earnest  and  encouraging  words.  Among 
these  I  remember  especially  our  Rev.  Brother 
Clokey,  of  the  U.  P.  Church  and  Rev.  J.  W. 
Spring,  of  the  M.  P.  Church. 

It  was  now  announced  that  Dio  Lewis  was  about 
to  return  to  Ohio  to  give  a  month's  campaign 
to  help  forward  the  work  in  various  parts  of  the 
State.  Our  Executive  Committee  not  thinking 
it  advisable  to  invite  him  to  Springfield,  the  La- 
dies Benevolent  Society  telegraphed  him  to  come 
to  us  on  February  I  ith. 

But  the  fever  of  enthusiasm  did  reach  a  suffi- 
cient height  by  the  loth  to  enable  a  devoted 
band  of  twenty-two  women  to  answer  to  the  call 
for  volunteers  at  the  close  of  the  morning  meet- 
ing, to  file  out  into  the  ante-room,  where  we, 

(ii) 


1 62  MEMORIES  OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

in  a  few  hurried  words  of  consultation,  came  to 
an  understanding  of  the  mode  of  procedure. 
The  day  before,  indeed,  feeling  that  I  must  take 
up  the  work  if  alone,  I  had  visited  some  four 
places,  the  Lagonda  House  being  one,  and  so 
got  an  understanding  of  the  various  entrances  to 
the  place.  It  turned  out,  however,  that  I  was 
not  the  only  one,  for  sisters  Cosier,  Schaffer  and 
Kinney  also  made  visits  to  three  or  four  places, 
so  that  our  work  of  visiting  saloons  may  date 
from  the  pth  of  February.  But  we  moved  out 
in  band  and  solemn  procession  the  next  day. 
As  we  reached  the  door  I  turned  to  the  brethren 
who  remained  in  the  sanctuary,  and  begged  them 
to  continue  in  prayer,  and  gave  them  our  watch- 
word, "I  will  go  in  the  strength  of  the  Lord 
God,  I  will  make  mention  of  thy  righteousness, 
Thine  only."  Ah,  who  that  fell  into  line  and 
marched  out  can  ever  forget  that  first  moving 
out !  The  silent  uplifting  of  the  heart  to  God, 
the  cry  for  strength,  for  wisdom  to  say  the  right 
words,  for  grace  to  meet  in  the  spirit  of  our 
blessed  Master  whatever  trial  of  faith  or  patience 
might  come  to  us,  the  trepidation  at  the  thought 
of  visiting  those  low  and  loathsome  places  that 
we  had  always  been  taught  were  the  haunts  of 
the  low,  vile  and  abandoned.  It  was  certainly 
a  new  and  strange  path  in  which  to  follow  the 
Friend  of  sinners.  Somehow,  we  had  not  before 
thought  that  the  command,  "Take  up  thy  cross 
and  follow  me,"  had  meant  even  into  such  dark 
dens  of  iniquity.  What  had  it  meant  ?  In 


MKMOKIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE.  163 

times  past  we  had  understood  it,  deny  thyself 
of  some  little  worldly  gratification  in  the  way  of 
amusement  or  dress.  And  even  in  these  minor 
matters  we  had,  with  rare  exceptions,  ceased  to 
be  distinguished  from  the  world  around  us. 

But  now  we  had,  indeed,  taken  a  solemn  ad- 
vance step.  How  weak  we  felt,  and  how  we 
realized  the  need  of  help  from  on  high.  Thus 
we  moved  out,  in  great  trembling,  with  bowed 
head,  but  with  eye  of  faith  steadfastly  fixed  on 
the  Cross  of  Calvary,  going  forth  to  try  to 
rescue  the  perishing.  Oh !  to  help  bring  the 
world  to  the  foot  of  the  cross  ! 

A  holy  inspiration  filled  our  souls,  and  as  the 
bell  rang  out  its  peals  at  the  close  of  each 
prayer  as  a  message  of  encouragement  sent 
after  us,  saying,  "Courage,  brave  hearts,  we  are 
praying  for  you,  we  are  praying  for  you,"  we 
felt  a  sweet  and  holy  joy  come  into  our  souls,  a 
new,  glad  experience  that  buoyed  us  as  if  tread- 
ing not  upon  the  earth,  but  the  air.  Lo !  we 
were  walking  with  Jesus.  To-day,  time  has 
brought  us  thirteen  years  further  on  the  way, 
yet  thousands  will  still  testify  to  the  blessed  joy 
and  peace  that  they  experienced  as  they  entered 
those  haunts  of  sin,  knelt  there  and  cried  to  God 
to  deliver  us  from  the  curse  of  drink,  to  save 
our  husbands,  to  save  our  boys,  to  save  the 
liquor-seller  himself,  from  the  fearful  conse- 
quences of  his  wicked  business.  Then  those 
sweet  songs  that  many  a  poor,  wretched  drunk- 
ard had  heard  his  sainted  mother  sing  in  the  old, 


1 64  MEMORIES  OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

far-away  home  of  his  childhood,  the  gentle  word 
of  persuasion  to  the  dealer,  to  the  young  man, 
or  the  gray- haired  frequenter  that  we  found  in 
the  grog-shop  !  How  many  times  have  I  heard 
the  assertion,  * '  I  would  not  exchange  that 
experience  for  all  the  rest  of  my  life."  Most  of 
our  sisters  supposed  the  happiness  came  from 
taking  up  this  peculiar  form  of  Christian  duty, 
but  I  am  satisfied  that  it  was  the  joy  and  peace 
that  will  always  come  from  a  willing  and  obedient 
following  of  the  Lord,  whithersoever  he  may 
lead. 

It  had  been  with  many,  a  fearful  struggle  to 
yield  up  their  preconceived  ideas  of  what  was  a 
lady's  place,  and  what  the  world  might  think 
and  say.  Not  a  few  carried  the  subject  to  their 
closets,  and  there  on  their  knees  fought  the  battle 
with  self  and  pride  before  the  Lord,  till  He  gave 
them  strength  and  they  came  forth  anointed 
for  the  war,  As  I  was  passing  up  street  one 
morning,  a  little,  timid  minister's  wife  met  me, 
and  grasping  my  hand,  exclaimed:  "Oh, 
Mother  Stewart,  what  shall  I  do?  It  seems  to 
me  that  I  can  not  take  up  this  work. "  I  said, 
'  'Never  mind,  my  dear,  it  will  come  all  right. ' '  A 
short  time  after,  this  little  woman  walked  out  by 

the  side  of  Sister  C at  the  head  of  a  band  ; 

and   as   they  knelt,  Sister  C said :  *  Tray, 

Sister  H ;  yes,  you  must  pray;"  and  she 

did,  and  such  a  holy  baptism  came  down  upon 
her  that  as  she  walked  she  held  to  Sister  C's 
arm,  exclaiming,  "Oh,  I  am  so  happy,  I  am  so 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  l6$ 

happy !  I  am  so  glad  you  made  me  take  up  my 
cross!"  Thenceforth  it  was  a  delight  to  do 
whatever  work  came  to  her. 

In  my  own  case  I  hardly  know  how  it  was, 
but  from  the  day  when  I  decided  to  help  my 
poor  friend  by  taking  her  case  into  court,  I  have 
never  felt  any  shrinking  or  misgiving  as  to  my 
holy  calling  to  the  work.  As  I  have  already 
said,  I  heard  my  Father's  voice  and  I  hastened 
to  do  his  bidding.  And  I  scarcely  ever  lifted 
up  my  voice  to  the  Throne,  whether  in  the  dark 
lurking-places  of  vice  and  crime,  or  without  on 
the  cold  pavement,  in  the  snow  and  mud,  or  on 
the  frozen  ground,  but  I  felt  like  shouting  aloud 
the  praises  of  my  God  for  the  privilege,  and  I 
have  never  ceased  to  wonder  and  to  praise  Him. 
Oh,  I  shall  take  up  the  song  on  the  other  shore 
before  very  long . 

And  yet  there  was  something  about  this 
work  so  'solemn,  so  pathetic,  so  approaching 
the  funeral  procession,  that,  though  I  led  out,  I 
suppose,  hundreds  of  bands,  I  could  never,  even 
to  the  last,  look  upon  the  sight  without  weeping. 
I  either  had  to  be  a  part  of  it  in  the  ranks  or 
hasten  out  of  sight. 

No  wonder  that  strong  men,  looking  upon  it, 
broke  down  and  wept  like  very  children ;  and 
no  wonder  that  the  infidel  declared,  as  I  heard 
him,  "I  a:n  not  a  Christian.  I  don't  know 
whether  there  is  a  God  up  yonder,  or  not.  But 
n  I  came  into  the  city  and  saw  those  women 
kneeling  on  the  streets  before  the  saloons,  and 


l66  MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

heard  their  prayers,  I  said,  if  there  is  a  God  in 
Heaven  He  will  hear  and  answer  those  prayers.*' 
It  seems  to  me  the  angels  must  have  looked 
down  from  their  bright  abode  upon  those  scenes 
with  awe  and  wonder  and  pity. 

I  can  now  recall  the  names  of  but  few  of 
that  little  consecrated  band  that  fell  into  line 
that  day,  saying  to  the  Master,  "Here  am  I; 
send  me."  But  some  I  know,  after  waging  a 
good  warfare  and  witnessing  a  good  profession, 
have  laid  down  the  weapons  of  warfare  and  the 
cross,  and  gone  up  to  wear  the  crown  forever 
more. 

Of  these  promoted  ones,  I  recall  our  beloved 
sisters  Emmet,  Mitchell,  Schaffer,  Guard/ 
Ogden,  Winters,  Middleton,  Cummings  and  Olds. 
Sister  Spring,  always  so  humble  and  modest,  so 
exemplary  in  life,  yet,  as  she  declared,  though  a 
minister's  wife  for  ten  years,  she  had  never  taken 
up  her  cross  in  public,  her  voice  had  never  been 
heard  in  prayer.  How  she  shrank  that  morn- 
ing from  the  duty,  asking  to  be  excused,  but 
when  I  spoke  of  her  example  and  influence  as  a 
minister's  wife,  and  the  only  one  present,  it  was 
all  that  was  needed.  She  promptly  took  her 
place  and  walked  with  us  to  the  last,  becoming 
most  capable  in  prayer  -and  all  needful  work — 
to  the  end  of  her  short,  beautiful  life,  in  her  far 
western  field,  ever  a  strong  temperance  worker, 
as  well  as  an  efficient  helpmeet  for  her  husband. 

I  remember  my  beloved  Sister  Cosier,  now 
Phillips,  walked  by  my  side  that  morning,  as  she 


MEMORIES  OF  THE   CRUSADE.  l6/ 

has  all  these  intervening  years,  in  the  sweet 
spirit  of  sisterly  confidence  and  helpfulness. 
Sister  Kinney,  who  had  been  obliged  to  take 
the  subject  to  her  closet  and  there  settle  it,  had 
nevertheless  got  it  settled  some  days  before, — 
how  effectually  the  years  have  told — and  had 
been  quite  impatient  to  move  out.  Sister  Otstot 
I  remember  as  she  stood  by  me  at  the  Lagonda 
House  door. 

On  this  first  morning  of  our  moving  out,  the 
whole  city  was  in  a  state  of  great  excitement 
and  the  streets  were  thronged  with  people.  The 
saloon-keepers  had  been  expecting  us  for  some- 
time, and  had  their  pickets  out  to  watch  and 
report  any  approach  of  the  dreaded  women. 
The  question  was,  how  to  reach  the  saloon 
without  the  word  out-running  us  and  so  being 
locked  out,  this  at  first  being  considered  by  the 
saloon-keepers  as  a  sort  of  defeat. 

I  desired  also  to  visit  the  most  prominent 
saloon  first,  this  being  in  the  basement  of  the 
Lagonda  House,  corner  of  Limestone  and  High 
streets.  To  reach  it  from  the  First  Presbyterian 
Church,  where  our  morning  meetings  were  held, 
and  from  which  we  marched  out,  required  a 
march  around  two  sides  of  the  square.  I  led 
the  band  up  Main  to  Limestone,  then  south  on 
Limestone  to  the  front  entrance,  through  which 
I  had  learned,  in  my  visit  of  the  day  before,  an 
entrance  to  the  saloon  could  be  had  by  a  stair- 
way leading  from  the  office.  But  the  ladies  not 
quite  understanding  my  bit  of  strategy,  preferred 


1 68  MEMORIES  OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

to  move  around  to  the  outside  door  This  we 
found  locked — the  spies  had  got  in  a  little  ahead. 
It  was  in  front  of  this  door  that  we  held  our  first 
Crusade  service,  and  Sister  Kinney  offered  the 
first  prayer.  A  great  concourse  of  people,  men, 
women  and  children,  carriages,  wagons,  etc., 
had  gathered  and  fairly  blockaded  the  street.  I 
turned  to  a  policeman  ( how  nice  they  were  to 
us  in  those  days  )  and  said  :  * '  If  I  could  have 
a  dry-goods  box  to  stand  on  I  would  address 
the  people. "  He  motioned  to  the  office  window 
and  said,  "Go  up  there."  Some  gentlemen 
were  in  it  and  I  asked  them  if  I  might  occupy 
it.  They  bowed  their  assent,  and  asking  my 
young  friend  Wilburn,  of  the  hotel,  to  lead  the 
way,  I  here  made  my  first  street  speech  in  the 
Crusade,  to  a  most  respectful  and  attentive 
audience.  Profound  quiet  and  order  prevailed, 
and  I  believe  a  move  towards  molesting  us 
would  have  been  a  signal  for  a  general  battle. 

Here  again  is  an  instance  followed  by  very 
unexpected  results. 

Mr.  J.  R.  Chapin,  special  correspondent  and 
artist,  sent  out  by  Frank  Leslie  to  write  up  and 
take  sketches  of  the  Ohio  Women's  Whisky 
War,  arrived  in  Springfield  just  after  we  had 
made  our  rounds,  gathered  up  the  facts  and 
made  sketches  of  the  street  scene  before  the 
Lagonda  House  and  that  at  Zischler's  the  next 
day ;  also  took  photographs  of  Dio  Lewis  and 
of  Mother  Stewart,  both  in  ordinary  garb  and  in 
her  disguise  with  the  Sunday  glass  in  hand.  These 


. 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  169 

came  out  in  Frank  Leslie  s  Weekly  for  February 
28th.  Where  they  all  found  their  way  would 
be  hard  to  tell.  It  was  said  that  a  thousand 
copies  were  sold  in  Springfield.  One  copy 
reached  the  hands  of  my  respected  friend,  Bailie 
Bucannan,  of  Dumbarton,  Scotland.  Mrs.  M. 
E.  Parker,  of  Dundee,  W.  Vice  Templar  of  the 
Grand  Lodge  of  Good  Templars  of  Scotland,  in 
her  visiting  of  the  various  local  lodges  visited 
Dumbarton,  and  being  entertained  by  Bailie 
Bucannan,  the  conversation  was  of  course  largely 
of  the  wonderful  news  of  the  uprising  of  the 
women  of  the  West.  The  bailie  brought  out 
a  copy  of  Frank  Leslie,  that  by  some  means  had 
come  into  his  possession.  Mrs.  P,  is  a  very 
enthusiastic  woman,  and  deeply  interested  in  all 
phases  of  the  temperance  work.  She  insisted, 
though  the  paper  was  much  worn  by  the  handling 
it  had  had,  that  she  must  have  it.  "Oh,"  she 
exclaimed,  * 'I -wish  we  could  get  Mother  Stewart 
to  Scotland."  This  hope  she  did  not  give  up, 
though  it  was  more  than  a  year  before  she 
realized  it. 

At  the  close  of  our  exercises  at  the  Lagonda 
House,  we  again  formed  our  procession  and 
marched  to  the  saloon  in  the  Murray  House, 
now  the  St.  James.  Finding  that  also  locked, 
we  had  our  prayers  and  songs  on  the  sidewalk. 
Thence  we  visited  a  very  notorious  place,  kept 
by  a  woman,  on  West  Main  street,  known  as 
'  'The  Bank. "  Here  we  were  permitted  to  enter, 
and  passing  to  the  room  in  the  rear,  held  our 


I/O  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

devotions  there,  while  the  crowd  of  customers 
were  taking  their  drinks  at  the  bar  in  the  front 
room.  From  here  we  visited  Wm.  Stubbe — 
where  I  had  bought  my  " first  glass  of  liquor." 
His  place  was  closed.  We  then  adjourned  to  the 
church,  where  we  disbanded  for  the  day,  but  to 
meet  the  next  morning  at  the  same  place  in  an 
all-day  prayer-meeting,  which,  by  arrangement 
of  Mrs.  Guy,  our  Secretary,  was  to  be  held. 

On  this  evening  our  mass-meeting  was  held  in 
the  Central  M.  E.  Church,  and  Sister  SchafTer 
and  Mother  Stewart  made  their  report  of  the 
first  day's  Crusade  work  in  Springfield,  to  an 
immense  audience. 

The  Springfield  Republic,  after  giving  a  full 
report  of  our  first  day  on  the  street,  proceeded 
with  the  following  remarks,  suggested  by  the 
action  of  the  saloon-keepers  in  locking  us  out : 

*  *  *  It  is  submitted  to  the  saloonists  above 
referred  to,  if  their  action  to-day  has  not  been 
cowardly  and  strongly  in  contrast  with  that  of  their 
visitors.  Certainly,  if  their  business  is  honest, 
respectable,  and  legal,  they  have  nothing  to  fear, 
and  as  shown  in  this  first  trial,  the  temperance 
women  are  not  to  be  deterred  by  closed  doors  or 
fastened  shutters.  If  they  are  doing  anything  in 
violation  of  law,  creating  any  breach  of  the  peace, 
or  interfering  with  legitimate  business,  the  remedy  is 
ready  to  the  hand  of  everybody  requiring  it.  It 
seems  to  be  the  plan  of  campaign  agreed  upon,  that 
close  watch  is  to  be  kept,  and  the  women  kept  out 
by  lock  and  key.  Would  it  not  be  more  courageous 
and  manly,  and  less  sneaking,  to  admit  them  ? 

This  new  movement  on  the  part  of  our  women 
has  special  and  extraordinary  significance,  dis- 
tinguishing it  from  that  in  other  places,  owing  to  the 
fact  that  this  is  the  first  place  of  any  considerable 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  17! 

size  in  which  the  visitation  plan  has  been  put  to  the 
test. 

The  result  will  therefore  be  regarded  with  the 
most  intense  interest  all  over  the  country.  The 
women  appreciate  the  situation,  and  cherish  a  spirit 
in  accordance  with  the  demand  upon  them. 

Our  siege  was  now  begun,  and  our  first  day 
out  had  served  to  settle  our  purpose  to  follow  it 
up,  whatever  the  result  might  be.  But  what  a 
conflict  it  proved  to  be  !  Hundreds  had  signed 
the  pledge  and  forsaken  the  dram-shops;  a 
sentiment  had  been  created  against  the 
business,  so  that  many  others  were  shamed  out 
of  patronizing  them ;  the  trade  was  very  per- 
ceptibly falling  off;  but  we  had  two  large 
breweries  and  one  distillery,  that  in  many 
instances  agreed  to  furnish  liquors  gratis  till  the 
siege  should  be  raised.  The  manufacturers  and 
wholesale  dealers  of  Cincinnati,  Dayton,  and 
elsewhere,  also  sent  out  their  drummers  and 
circulars  to  influence  the  saloon-keepers  to  stand 
their  ground,  saying  they  would  see  them 
through. 

As  refuting  the  general  supposition  every- 
where, except  on  the  field  of  action,  that  it 
was  the  drunkard's  wives  only  that  had  risen 
up  in  their  desperation  and  beleaguered  the 
saloons ;  and  answering  the  oft-repeated  question 
where  the  work  was  going  on,  "  Why  don't  the 
women  who  have  suffered  most  from  intemper- 
ance now  come  forward  to  help  rid  themselves 
and  their  neighbors  of  the  curse  ?"  an  incident, 
as  related  by  one  of  our  ladies  this  first  day  out, 


MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

is  in  order.  She  says  :  ' '  After  our  prayers  on 
the  sidewalk  before  the  Murray  House,  as  we 
were  about  moving  away,  one  of  the  ladies 
turned  to  a  miserable  inebriate  standing  near, 
and  said :  '  Your  wife  ought  to  be  with  us. '  A 
fierce  light  came  into  his  eyes  as  he  answered, 
'  Pd  kill  her  if  she  was  /'  >!  This  poor  woman 
had  silently,  uncomplainingly,  borne  her  heavy 
burden  for  years  ;  had  tended  and  cared  for  him 
through  illness  brought  on  by  drink.  She  had 
no  doubt  watched,  waited  and  prayed  that  her 
husband  might  be  delivered  from  his  terrible 
bondage.  Now,  when  the  army  was  investing 
this  city  of  her  sorrow,  she  could  not,  dared  not, 
lend  a  helping  hand,  for  fear  of  that  imbruted 
husband. 

On  the  morning  of  the  I  ith,  after  a  season  of 
waiting  before  the  Lord,  we  again  marched  out, 
seventy-five  strong.  But  it  happened  '  that  at 
this  hour  I  had  an  appointment  to  meet  a 
drunkard's  wife  at  the  Mayor's  ofHce,  to  help 
her  look  after  her  drunken  husband,  so  that  I 
was  not  with  the  sisters  in  their  rather  novel 
experience  with  Mr:  Zischler,  but  joined  them 
as  they  reached  the  depot  eating-house. 

That  wonderful "  White  Wednesday"  in  Spring- 
field !  Alas  !  alas !  We  shall  never  see  another 
such  !  The  interest  was  sustained  without  any 
abatement  for  eight  hours.  And  the  attendance 
steadily  increased  until  it  was  found  that  the 
lecture-room  could  not  accommodate  the  peo- 
ple. The  auditorium  was  thrown  open  and  soon 
filled. 


MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

The  thought  of  an  all-day  prayer-meeting,  as  so 
much  else  of  practical  work  and  methods,  was 
the  result  of  the  nightly  vigils  and  earnest  pray- 
ers of  our  competent  and  ever  vigilant  Secretary. 
It  was  a  new  and  startling  experience  for  some 
of  our  good  ministers  and  laymen,  who  had  ex- 
pressed many  misgivings  as  to  the  expediency  of 
such  an  experiment,  to  see  the  sisters  take  their 
places  as  leaders  for  the  hour,  read  the  Scrip- 
tures, pray  and  speak  with  the  ease  and  intelli- 
gence of  the  brethren  and  the  added  fervor  and 
emotion  of  women  ;  and  in  an  old,  conservative 
church  where  woman's  voice  was  an  unknown 
factor  in  devotional  services.  What  was  coming 
to  pass  in  these  latter  days  ? 

The  same  paper,  in  reporting  our  morning  work, 
says : 

It  was  stated  briefly,  yesterday,  that  while  the  mass 
was  congregated  in  the  church,  doing  what  could  be 
done  there  in  the  case,  picked  corps  of  women  were 
out  upon  the  streets, making  the  rounds  of  the  saloons 
or  rum-holes  as  Dr.  Lewis  truthfully  calls  them,meet- 
ing  with  much  encouragement,  as  compared  with  the 
experiences  of  the  first  day's  encounter.  As  stated, 
they  were  invited  by  Mr.  Zischler,  whose  place  on 
Market  street  they  visited,  into  his  dance-hall  in  the 
third  story,  and  arrived  there  the  proprietor  mounted 
the  music-stand  and  read  two  chapters  from  the 
Bible— that  from  Genesis  describing  the  fall  of 
Adam,  and  another.  The  ladies  set  a  good  example 
in  the  attention  they  paid,  but  when  it  came  their 
turn  Mr.  Zischler  was  so  ungallant  as  to  withdraw, 
saving  he  must  attend  to  his  business,  but  invited 
them  to  remain  as  long  as  they  pleased.  Not  at  all 
surprised  that  a  man  engaged  in  such  a  business 
should  shun  the  company  of  Christian  ladies,  they 
proceeded,  sang  their  hymns,  and  prayed  beseech- 


1/4  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

ingly,  closing,   as  usual,   with  the  long  metre   Dox- 
ology 

"  Praise  God  from  whom  all  blessings  flow." 

That  an  advance  was  made  this  day,  and  a  break 
in  the  enemy's  stronghold  at  least  started,  is  shown 
by  the  fact  that  the  women  were  permitted  to  enter 
the  billiard  room  attached  to  the  Lagonda  House 
saloon,  and  to  hold  their  religious  exercises  there. 
At  Dotzy's  place,  just  north  of  Main  street  on 
Market,  no  entrance  was  effected,  and  the  band  of 
devotees  at  once  kneeled  upon  the  pavement,  the 
sound  of  their  voices  in  prayer  being  clearly  dis- 
tinguished above  the  noise  of  the  street. 

An  adjournment  and  cessation  of  operations  were 
made  until  2  P.  M.,  and  about  twenty  of  the  women 
accepted  an  invitation  from  Mr.  J.  L.  Berry,  to  dine 
at  his  restaurant  on  Market  street,  where  they  were 
most  hospitably  entertained.  In  the  afternoon,  the 
first  advance  was  made  upon  Mr.  Bradley's  place,  on 
the  east  side  of  Market  street,  a  few  doors  from  Mr. 
Zischler's.  Here  the  proprietor  showed  good  sense, 
and  won  the  favor  of  spectators  and  all,  by  admit- 
ting the  delegation,  and  giving  them  all  the  facilities 
the  place  afforded  to  go  on  with  their  exercises.  All 
this  time  a  great  crowd  of  men  and  boys,  of  all  classes, 
extending  across  the  sidewalk  and  into  the  street, 
regarded  the  proceedings,  and  the  reporter  is  of  the 
opinion  that  it  was  not  alone  owing  to  the  presence 
of  the  police  that  good  order  was  maintained,  At 
prayer  time,  nearly  every  head  was  uncovered,  and 
as  the  women  started  to  leave,  a  way  was  cleared  for 
them.  A  crowd,  estimated  at  a  thousand  people, 
falling  in  at  the  rear. 

A  few  minutes  were  spent  at  the  depot  eating 
house,  (on  the  outside,  per  force  of  circum- 
stances,) and  then  the  ladies  turned  their  atten- 
tion to  "  Spang' s,"  on  the  opposite  corner,  for 
the  vicinity  of  the  depot  is  a  favorite  place  for 
this  business.  Here  there  was  an  "episode." 
The  door  was  closed,  and  Mrs.  Kinney,  trying  it, 
found  it  fast.  The  ladies  asked  me  to  step  onto 


MEMORIES   OF   THE    CRUSADE.  175 

the  door-steps  and  address  the  great  mass  of 
people  that  were  gathered  on  the  street.  I  as- 
cended the  steps,  but  as  I  was  beginning  to 
speak,  the  proprietor  threw  open  the  door  and 
shouted  out  "  Mother  Stewart,  get  down  from 
here,  you  are  trespassing!  I  don't  want  any  tres- 
passing here  !  These  are  my  premises,  I  pay 
my  rent,  and  I  don't  allow  you  here  !  Get  away, 
every  one  of  you !"  I  made  a  move  to  step 
down,  as  I  did  not  know  but  I  might  be  tres- 
passing, and  I  desired  to  avoid  any  legal  compli- 
cations in  the  outset  of  our  Crusade.  But  I 
think  a  hundred  voices  from  the  crowd  cried  out, 
"Stay  where  you  are !"  "You  have  good  back- 
ing !"  "  Don't  you  move."  Just  then  Mr.  Flem- 
ing, chief  of  police,  sprang  up  the  steps  and 
siezed  the  man  by  the  arm,  thrust  him  back  into 
his  saloon,  followed  him  in  and  explained  to 
him  that  the  people  were  in  sympathy  with 
an  d  would  protect  the  Crusaders,  and  that  a 
hand  laid  on  Mother  Stewart  would  be  the 
signal  for  rasing  his  place  to  the  ground.  There 
were  also  three  hundred  workmen  looking  on 
from  the  windows  of  the  great  Champion  Ma- 
chine Shopsjust  across  Market  Square,  and  ready 
at  a  move  to  avenge  any  violence  or  insult  of- 
fered us. 

Beadle,  in  his  report  of  the  affair,  says : 

''A  gentleman  of  rather  quiet  style  afterwards 
said,  '  If  that  fellow  had  touched  one  hair  of  Mother 
Stewart's  gray  head,  his  house  would  have  been 
leveled  to  the  ground  ;  and  he  proceeded  to  say  that 
there  is  nothing  more  curious  in  the  phenomena  of 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

the  movement  than  the  general  respect,  amounting 
almost  to  love  or  hero-worship,  which  some  of  the 
worst  bummers  and  saloonists  feel  for  the  good 
ladies  engaged  in  it.  Mother  Stewart  has  warm 
friends  among  the  worst  people  of  Springfield.' " 

When  I  had  finished  my  address  and  was  about 
to  step  down,  Mr.  Spangenburg  opened  his  door, 
seeming  as  bright  and  pleasant  as  a  May  morn- 
ing. 

I  turned  and  shook  hands  with  him,  bidding  him 
"good-bye."  "Good-bye,  good-bye,  Mother 
Stewart,"  he  responded,  "come  again."  The 
chief  had  done  his  work  well,  and  I  think  this 
place  as  good  as  any  to  bear  a  grateful  testi- 
mony to  the  kind  and  watchful  care  of  the 
Springfield  police  during  nearly  our  entire  street 
labors.  More  than  once  has  a  kind-hearted  po- 
liceman given  me  the  support  of  his  arm,  as  he 
walked  with  me  at  the  head  of  the  band. 

If  a  time  came  when  it  was  evident  that  a 
change  in  their  care  or  watchfulness  was  appa- 
rent, it  was  no  fault  of  theirs.  After  a  time,  as 
we  learned,  they  were  admonished  by  their  supe- 
riors that  a  little  less  zeal  in  guarding  the  Crusad- 
ers might  be  necessary  to  retaining  their  places. 
For  myself,  I  am  happy  to  record  that  from  that 
day  to  this  I  have  always  found  our  policemen 
to  be  my  warm  friends.  And  I  take  pleasure  in 
adding,  that  wherever  I  have  had  occasion  to 
ask  aid  or  information  of  a  policeman,  whether 
in  New  York,  St.  Louis,  London  or  Belfast,  I 
have  found  them  courteous  and  seeming  to 
take  pleasure  in  giving  me  any  aid  or  informa- 


i 

5 


k'   / 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

tion  asked,  and  I  know  I  have  passed  on  with 
an  added  pleasure  myself  for  the  brief  exchange 
of  friendly  words.  I  suppose  the  law  of  kind- 
ness, or  the  principle  that  "  like  begets  like, " 
has  a  general  application.  If,  instead  of  finding 
fault  with  them,  citizens  would  sustain  them  in 
the  discharge  of  their  duties,  they  would  take 
them  out  of  the  control  of  the  political  bosses, 
and  have  much  better  service  from  them. 

An  incident  connected  with  our  visit  to  this 
place  came  to  my  knowledge  only  recently, 
nearly  eleven  years  after  that  memorable  day, 
but  of  such  thrilling  interest  to  me  that  I  am 
sure  the  reader  will  be  glad  of  its  insertion  here. 
A  young  man  with  whom,  and  his  efficient  wife, 
I  have  for  some  years  been  associated  in  relig-* 
ious  and  temperance  work  in  my  city,  in  a 
conversation  remarked  that  "the  first  place  he 
met  me  was  in  a  saloon."  "Why,"  said  I,  "is 
it  possible  ?  Where  was  it  ?"  "  On  the  corner  of 
Washington,  I  was  in  getting  my  flask  filled.  I  am 
sorry  to  say  that  in  those  days,  as  so  many  others, 
I  was  in  the  habit  of  using  liquor.  The  saloon- 
keeper said,  'I  hear  that' — (an  adjective  not  best  to 
repeat)  '  old  Mother  Stewart  is  coming  with  her 
band,  and  if  she  does, '  he  swore  by  his  Maker 
he  would  kill  her.  I  said  to  myself,  '  No,  you 
will  not.  '  I  had  my  flask  in  my  pocket,  and  I 
determined  if  he  raised  his  arm  to  strike,  or  a 
revolver  to  shoot,  I  would  stand  between  him 
and  you.  That  was  the  last  liquor  I  bought 
and  the  last  time  I  visited  a  saloon.  Shortly 

(12) 


MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

after  this  I  went  to  the  morning  meeting,  told 
my  story  and  signed  the  pledge,  and  that  is  the 
secret  of  my  affection  for  Mother  Stewart." 

I  can  never  tell  the  feeling  that  thrilled  my  heart 
as  my  young  friend  related  this  deeply  interest- 
ing story.  I  had  been  made  to  feel  by  both  him 
and  his  wife  that  I  held  a  large  place  in  their 
hearts,  but  did  not  know  he  had  been  ready  even 
to  risk  his  own  life  for  me.  Very  precious  to 
my  ear  now  is  the  word  "mother"  as  it  falls 
from  their  lips. 

It  was  not  long  till  my  son  in  the  Gospel,  as 
I  now  call  him,  sought  and  found  Jesus,  and  at 
once,  with  the  co-operation  of  his  wife,  began  to 
work  for  the  salvation  of  souls,  and  at  this  writ- 
ing they  are  in  the  itinerant  ranks  in  a  Western 
Conference,  doing  blessed  work  for  the  Master. 

Returning  to  that  memorable  "White  Wednes- 
day." The  meeting  at  the  Opera  House  was  a 
glorious  ending  of  the  day.  Not  less  than  1,500 
people  thronged  out  to  hear  Dio  Lewis,  and  see 
"the  wickedest  man  in  Ohio,"  VanPelt.  Be- 
fore seven  o'clock,  the  sidewalks  and  stairways 
were  crowded  by  people  awaiting  the  opening 
of  the  doors.  Says  the  reporter : 

At  half-past  seven  a  commencement  was  made. 
Mr.  C.  M.  Nichols  acting  as  chairman,  supported  on 
either  hand  on  the  stage,  by  Dio  Lewis,  VanPelt, 
Mother  Stewart,  Dr.  Clokey,  E.  C.  Middleton,  the 
"  Press  Gang,"  and  others.  Mr.  A.  O.  Huffman  led 
the  singing  with  which  the  exercises  were  opened. 
Rev.  J.  L.  Bennett  offered  prayer.  After  singing 
another  piece  the  chairman  introduced  the  reformed 
saloonist,  J.  C.  VanPelt,  who  was  received  with  ap- 
plause and  spoke  as  follows : 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 


179 


4 '  It  is  not  my  intention  to  enter  into  any  argument 
on  this  subject,  but  only  relate  how  the  ladies  con- 
ducted the  work  in  New  Vienna. 

"  I  was  the  last  to  be  visited  on  the  first  day  of  their 
going  out.  After  repeating  their  visits  for  many  days 
they  came  to  the  great  end  for  which  they  were 
working.  I  never  believed  they  could  work  it 
as  they  did.  It  would  take  a  hard-hearted  man  in- 
deed to  withstand  the  pleadings  of  the  mothers  in 
their  beautiful  prayers.  I  began  to  feel,  several  days 
before  my  surrender,  that  I  was  wrong.  I  did  not 
even  consult  my  legal  advisors,  as  they  said  I  should, 
and  I  thank  God  I  did  not.  I  endeavored  in  various 
ways  to  convince  the  sisters  they  were  wrong,  and 
argued  with  them,  to  get  the  best  of  them.  But  when 
they  came  to  me  with  tears  in  their  eyes,  and  told 
of  the  little  ones  suffering  for  the  dimes  I  was  taking 
in,  I  could  not  resist,  and  I  began  to  reflect  upon  the 
wrong  I  was  doing.  Upon  all  this  came  word  from 
Cincinnati  wholsale  liquor  men,  'Can  you  hold  out  a 
year,  if  we  will  furnish  you  all  the  liquor  you  can 
sell  in  a  year.'  As  much  as  to  say,  if  I  would  do 
the  dirty  work,  they  would  stand  back  and  laugh 
under  cover.  All  the  other  dealers  in  the  place  had 
signed  the  pledge.  I  was  the  only  one  left,  and  I 
began  to  feel  that  I  was  almost  the  worst  man  in  the 
universe,  with  my  hand  not  only  against  my  fellow 
men,  but  against  God.  For  four  weeks  I  withstood 
their  pleadings.  This  day  a  week  ago  I  told  the 
sisters  I  would  give  them  my  answer  at  such  a  time. 
Before  the  time  arrived  I  made  up  my  mind  to  sur- 
render. Would  I  send  my  stock  back  to  Cincinnati  ? 
No,  that  would  be  wrong.  At  one  o'clock  the  bell 
rang  for  the  people  to  come  together.  At  2  o'clock 
those  ladies  came  down  the  street  in  funeral  file, 
(most  appropriate  description  of  the  Crusade  March.) 
They  marched  up  in  front  of  my  place  and  prayed 
God  to  help  me.  It  seemed  as  if  the  prayer  would 
never  cease  going  up.  I  rushed  to  the  door  and  said, 
.dies,  I  have  determined  to  quit,  I  want  no  more 
proof  of  your  sincerity/  (loud  applause.)  I  called 
on  Brother  Witter  and  Brother  Hill,  two  ministers 
of  the  place,  and  told  them  I  had  something  for  them 
to  do.  I  said  I  could  go  to  prison,  but  it  was  the 


180  MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

ladies  to  whom  I  would  surrender.  I  then  asked 
the  ministers  to  please  carry  out  the  whisky.  They 
were  terribly  willing,  and  out  it  went.  I  gathered  up 
that  same  ax  that  I  had  threatened  the  women  with, 
and  drove  it  as  near  through  those  barrels  as  I  could, 
and  out  ran  the  whisky.  Such  a  shout  as  went  up  I 
never  heard  before,  and  never  will  again  till  I  stand 
before  God.  The  tears  ran  down  their  cheeks  like 
a  fountain  stream,  and  so  it  ended." 

Mr.  Nichols  then  introduced  Dr.  Dio  Lewis,, 
who  said  he  wanted  to  say  something  against 
wine  drinking,  against  ' 'nice  drinking. "  The 
most  eminent  men  in  the  legal  profession  on  the 
other  and  this  continent  say  that  nine-tenths  of 
the  crime  committed  comes  from  moderate  drink- 
ing. Clergymen  have  been  heard  to  advocate 
the  introduction  of  light  wines  in  place  of  whisky, 
gin,  ale,  and  other  liquors.  One  who  so  held, 
visited  Europe  and  wrote  back  that  he  took  the 
back  track  and  was  sorry  he  had  ever  held  his 
former  opinions. 

Dr.  Lewis  held  that  those  who  were  engaged 
in  adulterating  liquors  were  doing  a  good  work 
for  the  temperance  cause,  and  should  be  en- 
couraged. 

People  say,  if  we  only  had  pure  liquors  like 
our  grandfathers  had,  we  should  last  as  long  as 
they  by  using  them.  But  there  is  a  difference 
between  the  habits  of  our  grandfathers  and  our- 
selves which  prevents  it.  It  would  be  an  im- 
mense contribution  to  the  temperance  cause  if 
wine  and  liquors  killed  in  three  days.  If  your 
mothers  and  grandmothers  had  drank  as  we 
drink,  the  nation  would  have  gone  to  ruin  long 
ago. 

In  Paris,  every  man,  woman  and  child  over 
fifteen  drinks  wine.  Lord,  save  us  from  ever 
reaching  such  practices.  •'!  mourn,"  said  the 
speaker,  '  'that  wine  is  kept  in  so  many  houses, 
*  just  in  case  of  sickness, '  and  that  doctors  will 
prescribe  the  use  of  liquors  for  the  lungs.  It  is 
all  poisonous." 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 


181 


There  are  three  classes  of  drinkers:  1st,  those 
who  get  drunk  habitually;  2nd,  those  who 
drink  sometimes  and  get  drunk  occasionally ;  and 
3rd,  those  who  drink  with  kid  gloves  on  th£ir 
hands. 

It  isn't  drunkards  who  make  recruits  for  the 
drunkards'  army  from  among  the  boys.  It  is 
the  man  of  influence  in  a  town,  educated  and 
wealthy,  whose  example  is  followed  by  the  young, 
and  who  drink  wine.  That  women  themselves 
sometimes  work  evil  in  this  direction,  was  shown 
by  an  instance  coming  under  the  speaker's  per- 
sonal observation.  Respectable  people  should 
strive  to  create  such  a  sentiment  in  every  com- 
munity as  will  make  drinking  disreputable.  Dr. 
Lewis  said  he  conceived  the  idea  thirty-five 
years  ago  that  women  could  work  saloons  and 
liquor-selling  out  o(  existence.  In  the  place 
where  he  lived,  &  number  of  lads  were  made 
drunk  in  a  saloon-  Considerable  excitement  was 
created  and  the  women  held  a  prayer-meeting. 
Eighty-four  women  started  down  to  the  rum-hole 
with  a  beautiful  banner.  They  were  warned  not 
to  go  in  and  passed  on  to  the  next.  The  keeper 
said  he  would  stop  if  the  rest  would.  Four  out 
of  five  signed  a  pledge  to  stop. 

The  women  went  back  to  the  first  place,  prayed 
and  sang.  They  went  several  days  in  succession 
and  were  met  with  indifference.  The  result  was 
that  one  morning  at  9  o'clock  he  poured  his 
liquors  into  the  gutter,  and  there  has  been  none 
sold  in  that  place  since,  a  period  of  more  than 
thirty  years. 

He  referred  to  the  success  of  the  movement  in 
several  towns  that  had  taken  it  up,  and  said  Xenia 
would  move  out  on  to-morrow.  They  have  a 
committee  of  four  hundred,  who  will  divide  into 
four  sub  committees  and  commence  work.  In 
four  weeks  from  to-morrow,  he  predicted  there 
will  not  be  a  place  in  Xenia  where  you  can  get 
a  drink  of  liquor. 


1 82  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

He  claimed  that  this  was  soil  peculiarly  adapted 
to  the  temperance  plant.  It  has  taken  root  and 
flourishes  for  the  first  time.  He  proposed  to  re- 
turn to  Massachusetts  and  open  the  work  in 
Worcester ;  (but  he  did  not  find  the  New  England 
soil  adapted  to  this  new  method  of  warfare  on 
the  saloon.) 

Mother  Stewart  was  called  upon  and  gave  a  re- 
sume of  the  work  in  the  city  for  some  four  months 
previous.  She  had  to-day  invited  that  poor 
woman  whose  case  she  had  taken  into  court  four 
months  ago,  to  come  to  the  meeting  to-night 
and  see  if  her  heart  would  not  be  cheered  with 
hope,  and  she  is  here.  Our  work,  however, 
while  we  have  had  much  to  encouarge,  and  the 
people  are  aroused  as  never  before,  has  some 
peculiar  features  and  many  obstacles  to  en- 
counter. The  number  of  women  enlisted  was 
not  sufficiently  large.  More  recruits  were  wanted 
for  the  women's  army.  On  Monday  a  few  ladies 
visited  several  saloons.  Yesterday  something  like 
twenty  and  to-day  seventy-five,  moved  out  in 
band  form.  A  great  throng  gathered  in  the 
streets,  but  they  were  perfectly  respectful  and 
orderly. 

Dr.  Lewis  then  moved  that  a  committee  of 
three  ladies  be  elected  to  draft  an  address  to  the 
liquor-dealers.  This  was  carried,  and  Mrs.  Guy, 
Mrs.  Foos  and  Mrs.  Baines  were  made  such 
committee,  to  report  at  a  future  meeting. 

In  a  similar  manner  C.  H.  Schaffer,  A.  O. 
Huffman,  T.  J.  Finch  and  Charles  D.  Hauk 
were  appointed  Secretaries,  to  prepare  a  list  of 
names  of  ladies  to  be  added  to  the  committee  of 
visitors. 

While  this  was  in  progress,  at  the  suggestion 
of  Dr.  Lewis,  opportunity  for  two-minute 
speeches  from  persons  in  the  audience  was  given, 
and  John  C.  Miller  (Probate  Judge),  Gen.  J. 
W.  Keifer,  Rev.  J,  L.  Bennett,  Rev.  J.  W. 
Spring,  Mr.  L.  H.  Olds,  Mr,  A.  R.  Ludlow 


MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE.  183 

(since  candidate  on  the  temperance  ticket  for 
Governor,  and  always  our  staunch  friend  ),  Rev. 
B.  Seever,  Rev.  M.  Dutton  and  Rev.  Dr.  Wise- 
man, responded  to  calls,  causing  considerable 
enthusiasm,  and  maintaining  the  interest  to  the 
close.  A  very  large  list  of  names  was  reported 
by  the  Secretaries,  and  thus  closed  a  day  in 
Springfield  standing  apart  from  all  other  days  in 
its  history  as  the  "  White  Wednesday  of  the 
Great  Temperance  Uprising." 

I  copy  as  full  a  report  of  this  memorable  day 
from  the  Republic,  of  the  1 2th,  as  the  limits  of 
these  pages  will  permit : 

PEACEFUL  REVOLUTION! 
A  WHITE  WEDNESDAY  IN  SPRINGFIELD! 

FEBRUARY  n,   1874,  A  DAY  LONG  TO  BE  REMEM- 
BERED— THE   ALL-DAY  PRAYER-MEETING — 
MARCH  OF  THE  WOMEN'S  TEMPERANCE 
ARMY — EXCITING   EXPERIENCES — 
Dio  LEWIS  AND  VAN  PELT  AT 
THE  OPERA  HOUSE  IN  THE 
EVENING. 

Wednesday,  February  nth,  will  be  remembered 
in  the  history  of  our  city  as  the  "  White  Wednesday." 

It  was  the  first  occasion  on  which  the  people  of 
Springfield  ever  spent  the  entire  day  in  united  prayer 
for  the  success  of  the  temperance  cause  and  the  out- 
pouring of  the  Holy  Spirit.  An  account  of  the  All- 
Day  prayer-meeting  up  to  one  o'clock,  has  already 
been  printed  in  our  columns. 

At  one  o'clock  Rev.  Joseph  Bennett  took  charge 
of  the  exercises,  Mr.  Peter  Schindler  leading  the 
singing,  assisted  at  the  organ  by  Mrs.  Black.  The 
chairman  read  a  portion  of  Scripture,  selecting  the 
story  of  the  Prodigal  Son,  applications  of  which  were 
made  in  various  ways  to  the  present  use.  Prayer 
was  offered  for  the  safety  and  recovery  of  the  young 
man  who  came  forward  and  expressed  a  desire  to 


184  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

forsake  a  life  of  sin,  Mr.  Bennett  related  a  remark- 
able instance  of  Divine  power  which  transpired 
under  his  observation  during  his  college  days,  in 
which  a  whole  class  of  scoffers  were  overcome,  one 
of  their  number  becoming  an  able  preacher  of  the 
word.  At  2  o'clock  Rev.  Mr.  Bennett  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Rev.  A.  L.  Wilkinson,  the  new  pastor  of 
the  First  Baptist  Church,  Mr.  A.  O.  Huffman  con- 
ducting the  singing. 

At  this  hour  the  battalion  of  outside  workers  re- 
formed for  another  advance  and  started  out,  going 
at  once  to  Mr.  Charles  Bradley's  place,  on  the  East 
side  of  Market  street.  They  were  made  the  subject 
of  prayer  by  the  meeting,  Rev.  Mr.  Dutton  leading. 
Mr.  Spring  asked  those  who  desired  prayers  to  rise. 
Prayers  were  then  offered  by  Messrs.  E.  C.  Middle- 
ton,  J.  C,  Christie  and  P.  P.  Mast.  Remarks  were 
made  by  Rev.  Mr.  Ellsworth,  and  Mr.  Middleton 
reported  that  Beck,  the  last  of  the  liquor-sellers 
at  Washington  C.  H.,  had  surrendered.  At  3  o'clock 
Rev.  Mr.  Hamma  took  charge  of  the  exercises.  Of 
all  the  meetings  he  had  ever  attended,  this,  he 
thought,  was  one  of  the  greatest.  He  then  proposed 
that  another  of  the  same  kind  be  held  on  Wednesday, 
February  i8th,  and  the  suggestion  was  adopted  by  a 
rising  vote ;  and  the  meeting  was  announced  to  be 
held  in  the  First  Presbyterian  Church,  from  9  o'clock 
in  the  morning  until  5  in  the  evening.  At  this  stage 
of  the  proceedings  it  was  apparent  that  the  room 
was  uncomfortably  crowded,  many  ladies  being 
obliged  to  stand  in  the  aisles  and  door-ways,  and  it 
was  stated  that  hundreds  were  standing  outside 
desiring  to  obtain  admittance.  This  being  the  fact, 
it  was  decided  by  a  vote  to  repair  to  the  audience- 
room  above. 

Within  ten  minutes  from  the  time  of  this  announce- 
ment, the  large  upper  room  was  absolutely  packed, 
and  the  same  was  true  of  the  gallery. 

Prayer  was  offered  by  Rev.  Mr.  Hamma,  and  Rev. 
Dr.  Clokey  addressed  the  audience,  expressing  his 
thanks  to  God  for  what  He  had  already  accomplished. 
Meanwhile,  Dr.  Dio  Lewis,  of  Boston,  and  Mr.  J.  C. 
VanPelt,  the  reformed  liquor-seller,  of  New  Vienna, 
Ohio,  had  arrived  and  had  been  welcomed  on  the 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  185 

platform ;  and  when  Mrs.  Stewart  had  closed  an 
account  of  the  work  of  the  women  during  the  day, 
Dr,  Lewis  was  then  introduced.  He  made  a  few 
very  interesting  remarks,  then  introduced  J.  C.  Van 
Pelt,  who  gave  an  account  of  his  experience,  similar 
to  those  already  reported  as  being  given  at  the 
evening  meeting. 

At  4  o'clock  Rev.  J.  W.  Spring  took  charge  of  the 
meeting ;  Mrs.  Stewart  called  for  volunteers  for  the 
saloon  visitation.  Perhaps  a  hundred  women  arose 
while  the  audience  joined  in  singing,  led  by  Mr. 
Huffman.  Mr.  McGookin  thanked  God  that  He 
had  put  it  into  the  hearts  of  these  women  to  prose- 
cute this  work. 

Mr.  Spring  asked  those  who  desired  prayers  to 
rise,  and  Mr.  VanPelt  arose.  Prayer  was  offered. 
We  may  say  here  that  the  appearance  of  this  man  on 
the  platform  affected  the  audience  to  tears,  and  his 
remarks  throughout  were  very  heartily  approved  and 
applauded.  After  a  few  more  remarks  by  Dr.  Lewis, 
the  meeting  closed. 


CHAPTER  X. 


Second  Visit  to  Osborn — Spread  of  the  Work. 


(AYS  our  city  reporter: 

Nothing  shows  the  importance  of  the  great 
movement  now  in  progress  in  the  Buckeye 
State,  or  the  universal  interest  taken  in  it  by  the 
people  of  the  whole  community  and  country,  more 
than  the  efforts  made  by  the  leading  journals  to  give 
•full  details  of  operations  at  every  point. 

There  were  present  at  all  our  meetings  here  yester- 
day, to  write  up  matters  for  their  respective  journals, 
Mr.  M.  P.  Handy,  of  the  N.  K  Tribune  (who 
accompanies  Dr.  Lewis  on  his  journeyings),  Mr. 
Chamberlain,  of  the  Cincinnati  Enquirer,  Mr.  Brown, 
of  the  Gazette,  that  wicked  Beadle,  of  the  Commercial, 
and  Mr.  Stevens,  of  the  Sandusky  Register. 

MEETING  THURSDAY  MORNING,   FEBRUARY  I2TH. 

At  9  o'clock  the  auditorium  of  the  Central  M. 
E.  Church  was  filled  with  an  audience  of  men 
and  women.  At  this  meeting  a  committee  on 
street- work  was  named,  with  Mrs.  James  Kinney 
as  leader  or  Chairman  of  Band  work,  and  Mrs. 
J.  C.  Miller  as  Secretary.  There  were  also 
more  gentlemen  added  to  the  Advisory  Com- 
mittee. A  very  large  list  of  ladies'  names  was 
presented  to  this  meeting,  comprising  the  most 
prominent  ladies  of  the  city.  And  while  all  did 
not  feel  called,  or  at  least  respond  to  the  call, 

186 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  187 

to  fall  into  line  with  those  who  visited  the 
saloons,  yet  many  did,  and  most  of  those  who 
did  not  find  the  grace  or  could  not  muster  the 
courage  to  join  the  band  work,  did  do  very 
helpful  work  in  other  departments. 

Our  headquarters  were  at  this  time  in  the 
First  Presbyterian  Church.  Here  the  Crusaders 
each  morning  met  for  a  season  of  prayer  and 
song,  and  then  forming  into  one  band  after 
another,  moved  out,  making  the  round  of  visits. 
It  was  no  doubt  a  trying  ordeal  for  Mr.  Saloon- 
keeper to  receive  bands  in  measured  succession, 
often  as  many  as  six  or  seven  marching  in.  As 
the  head  of  the  column  would  step  in,  a  song 
would  be  started  ;  at  the  close  of  the  song  the 
leader,  or  some  one  she  would  call  upon,  would 
offer  a  prayer,  then  an  appropriate  portion  of 
Scripture  would  be  read  by  one  to  whom  this 
duty  had  been  assigned  ;  the  dealers'  pledge 
would  then  be  presented,  with  a  few  gentle 
words  of  persuasion  or  appeal;  another  song, 
another  prayer,  and  a  friendly  "good-bye," 
with  a  promise  to  call  again.  A  deep-drawn 
sigh  of  relief,  and  may  be  some  not-repeatable 
words  would  escape  from  Mr,  Saloon-keeper's 
perturbed  bosom,  and  "Now!"  he  would  ex- 
claim, "for  my  customers;  I'll  have  the  more 
for  this  call !"  But  lo  !  here  is  another  band  at 
his  door,  with  the  same  salutation  of  song,  the 
same  ceremony  of  prayer,  reading  the  Scripture, 
pleading,  presentation  of  pledge,  and  "good- 
bye." "Now! — No! — here  comes  a  third, 


1 88  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

a  fourth,  a  fifth,  a  sixth,  a  seventh  !  Has  the 
whole  Christian  world  risen  up  against  my 
business  ?  I  wonder  they  did  not  long  ago  ! 
But  will  it  never  come  to  an  end  ?" 

If  the  doors  were  closed,  all  the  same,  the 
song  and  the  prayer,  and  the  reading  of  the 
Word  went  on.  While  the  sisters  would  gen- 
erally look  upon  a  "lock-out"  as  a  sort  of 
defeat,  or  at  least  a  thwarting  of  their  purpose, 
I  saw  that  instead  of  being  a  disaster,  it  was 
often  an  advantage,  as  we  had  so  many  more 
auditors  on  the  street  than  we  could  have  in  the 
saloon.  It  excited  the  sympathy  of  the  throng 
for  the  women,  and  their  indignation  against  the 
saloon-keeper,  and  we  obtained  many  more 
signers  to  the  pledge;  and  I  was  often  struck 
with  the  respect  and  reverence  manifested  for 
the  Scriptures.  Even  after  the  novelty  of  the 
Crusade  visitation  had  in  a  degree  passed  off, 
the  reading  of  God's  Word  would  fasten  the 
attention  of  men  who  had  rarely  read  or  heard 
it  since  the  old  family  Bible  was  read  by  father  at 
the  altar  in  the  old  home,  or  the  thrilling  stories 
were  taught  by  mother  as  they  stood  by  her 
knee.  I  am  here  reminded  of  an  incident  that 
occurred  in  our  city.  Sister  Wirtz,  being  able 
to  read  German,  carried  her  German  Bible  with 
her  into  a  saloon  one  day  and  read  a  selection 
from  it.  When  she  had  finished,  a  man  came 
to  her  and  asked  where  that  portion  of  Scripture 
was,  saying :  ' '  Certainly  that  message  was 
meant  for  me." 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

On  Thursday,  February  I2th,  after  our  morn- 
ing meeting,  having  been  called  to  Osborn, — 
where,  on  the  first  of  December  I  had  formed 
the  first  "  Women's  Temperance  League,"  as 
we  then  called  our  organizations,  in  company 
with  Mrs.  Teegarden,  Mrs.  Cathcart  and  Mrs. 
Baines, — I  went  down  again  to  help  these  pioneer 
ladies  to  organize  for  the  new  method. 

Our  meeting  at  night  was  large,  and  the 
people  were  full  of  enthusiasm  over  this  new  way 
of  combating  the  liquor  fiend,  and  eager  to  see 
the  ladies  try  it  on  the  saloons  of  their  town, 
thinking,  as  they  did  nearly  everywhere,  "we 
have  the  worst  liquor-cursed  community  here  in 
the  whole  country."  The  next  morning,  after 
the  usual  season  of  waiting  before  the  Lord,  we 
formed  into  line  and  moved  out.  We  first 
visited  the  saloon  across  the  square,  held  the 
usual  devotions  and  made  our  appeal  to  the 
keeper,  who,  while  he  treated  us  civilly,  mani- 
fested unmistakable  indications  of  standing  a 
siege. 

Having  a  little  matter  of  business  of  my  own 
to  attend  to,  I  left  the  ladies  here,  telling  them 
I  would  come  up  with  them  at  the  next  place. 
As  I  came  near  the  place  where  the  ladies  were 
praying,  a  boy  met  me,  seeming  quite  alarmed, 
and  told  me  that  ' '  That  man  where  the  ladies 
were  praying  was  going  to  blow  the  ladies  up  ! 
he  had  scattered  powder  on  his  porch  for  the 
purpose."  "O,"  I  said,  "  I  reckon  not."  "Oh, 
yes,"  he  said,  "he  is  drunk,  and  is  very  mad  ! — 


190  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

and  he  has  a  couple  of  dogs  that  he  says  he  is 
going  to  set  on  the  ladies."  So  I  concluded  I 
would  do  the  watching  while  the  sisters  prayed. 
I  found  them  kneeling  on  the  porch  in  prayer, — 
the  saloon  door  was  locked — and  I  saw  that 
powder  was  strewn  all  over  the  porch.  The 
miscreant  undoubtedly  expected  the  ladies  in 
stepping  on  the  powder  would  ignite  it,  and 
thus  set  fire  to  their  clothing ;  there  had  been 
rain,  however,  and  the  porch  was  sufficiently 
damp  to  prevent  its  igniting.  I  gathered  up 
some  of  the  powder  and  have  it  here  in  my 
cabinet — a  trophy  of  the  women's  "  whisky 
war,"  by  the  side  of  some  minnie-balls  that  I 
dug  out  of  a  tree  on  Chickamauga  battle-field,  — 
trophies  of  that  other  war  in  the  interest  of  human- 
ity. But  the  man  did  not  make  his  appearance. 
The  gentlemen  of  the  town  were  very  indignant 
when  they  heard  of  his  cowardly  attempt  to  set  fire 
to  the  ladies.  '  'But  the  dogs ! ' '  Oh,  yes,  they  were 
there! — two  beautiful,  white  "spitz,"  their  ears 
put  forward  and  wagging  their  tails,  manifesting 
a  great  deal  of  good-natured  interest  in  the  pro- 
ceedings. 

Among  the  incidents  of  the  Crusade  on 
Friday,  February  1 3th,  I  notice  that  two  bands 
moved  out  in  the  morning  from  the  First  Pres- 
byterian Church.  That  led  by  Mrs.  Kinney 
and  Mrs.  Cosier  made  their  first  call  at  the 
"Bank,"  kept  by  Mrs.  Johnson,  who  gave  her 
promise  before  the  ladies  left  that  she  would 
attend  meeting  that  evening  at  the  Central  M. 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  1 9! 

E.   Church,   which  she  did,   and   arose   among 
those  requesting  prayers. 

By  request  of  the  prisoners  in  the  station- 
house,  that  place  was  visited.  It  was  a  solemn 
occasion.  Several  of  the  prisoners  shed  tears 
and  expressed  contrition  for  their  wrong-doing, 
saying  all  their  trouble  was  brought  upon  them 
through  drink. 

The  ladies  next  stopped  at  Karl  Niehaus's 
den,  but  found  the  door  closed.  "This,"  says 
the  evening  paper,  "may  be  regarded  as  the 
starting  point  of  the  movement  in  Springfield. 
It  was  against  this  man  Niehaus  that  Mrs. 
Saurbier  four  months  ago  obtained  judgment  of 
$300  for  selling  her  husband  liquor.  Through 
the  interest  taken  by  the  ladies  in  that  case  at 
the  time,  arose  the  sentiment  which  has  resulted 
as  we  see  daily."  (This  poor,  wretched  man 
appealed  his  case  to  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas, 
but  long  before  the  case  reached  a  decision  he 
had  been  summoned  to  appear  before  a  higher 
tribunal,  and  one  from  which  there  is  no  appeal, 
to  answer  for  the  deeds  done  in  the  body.  ) 
While  the  women  were  on  the  outside  praying 
in  the  rain  and  mud,  those  inside  were  making 
discordant  music  on  some  instrument,  and  finally 
came  to  the  door  with  their  beer-mugs  and 
drank,  intending  to  insult  the  ladies.  "Spang" 
was  also  visited  again,  and  found  to  be  in  a  very 
amiable  mood. 

On  Saturday  morning,  February  I4th,  I  joined 
the  sisters  again,  and  found  them  full  of  enthu- 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

siasm  and  hope.  It  was  announced  on  this 
morning  in  the  prayer-meeting  that  not  a  drop 
of  whisky,  as  such,  could  be  bought  in  Spring- 
field. And  how  we  rejoiced  when  the  news  of 
our  first  surrender,  by  a  young  man  in  the  West 
End,  was  brought  in.  Sister  McClintoc  and  I 
sprang  to  the  bell-rope,  and  with  desperate  effort 
swayed  that  ponderous  bell  up  in  the  steeple, 
and  with  clang  and  reverberation  sent  the  glad 
news  over  the  city. 

The  good  effect  of  our  work  was  telling  on 
the  city.  Hundreds  were  signing  the  pledge ; 
scores  were  encouraged  to  make  the  fight  for 
their  lost  manhood,  and  once  more  walked 
among  their  fellows,  redeemed  from  the  curse  of 
a  debasing  appetite.  The  business  was  becom- 
ing badly  crippled  and  the  keepers  alarmed. 

The  men  having  liquor  in  connection  with 
groceries  found  that  public  sentiment  was  getting 
to  be  so  strong  against  the  liquor  that  they  were 
losing  their  best  customers. 

Undoubtedly  many  saloon-keepers  would  have 
surrendered  if  it  had  not  been  for  the  support 
they  received  from  the  manufacturers  and  whole- 
sale dealers  of  Cincinnati  and  Dayton,  as  well  as 
those  of  our  own  city.  A  gentleman  visited  the 
city  about  this  time  and  made  the  round  of  the 
saloons  to  ascertain  the  effect  of  the  Crusade 
upon  the  business.  The  universal  complaint 
was  that  their  business  was  " nearly  ruined;" 
"  Trade  cut  down  one  half ;"  "Trade  cut  down 
three-fourths;"  "If  this  keeps  on  much  longer 


MEMORIES    OF   THE    CRUSADE.  193 

we  will  have  to  go  under."  He  visited  the 
clothing  and  dry-goods  merchants  and  inquired 
how  it  affected  them.  "Oh!"  the  cheerful 
answer  came,  "grandly!  I  am  making  nearly 
one-half  more  sales  than  before  it  begun  !" 

The  baker  was  visited  :  ' '  Oh,  yes  ;  it  makes 
my  business  better ;  poor  fellows  that  used  to 
come  in  and  ask  for  a  loaf  of  stale  bread  now 
buy  the  best,  and  more  of  it."  The  butcher: 
' '  Yes,  yes  ;  my  business  is  improved  ;  men  who 
scarcely  ever  bought  meat,  or  occasionally  an 
inferior  piece,  now  come  in  and  order  a  roast,  or 
a  steak,  as  the  fancy  strikes  them, — and  pay  for 
it,  too  !"  Homes  where  only  wretchedness  and 
poverty  and  want  had  reigned  were  now  filled 
with  joy  and  gladness.  How  the  wives  and 
mothers  wept  tears  of  joy  and  praised  God  and 
blessed  the  Crusaders,  and  how  the  little  children 
spatted  their  little  hands  in  glee,  that  their  father 
was  now  a  sober  man.  The  children  began  to 
wear  shoes  and  better  clothes,  and  to  attend  the 
day-  and  Sunday- Schools  ;  the  wife,  whose  gar- 
ments had  been  so  shabby  that  she  was  ashamed 
to  be  seen  on  the  street,  now  had  a  decent  suit 
in  which  she  could  go  to  the  sanctuary.  I  find 
an  item  in  the  daily  paper  that  is  additional 
testimony  in  this  line,  though  the  date  is  some 
weeks  later.  In  his  rounds  on  Monday  morn- 
ing, the  reporter  called  at  one  of  our  largest 
manufacturing  establishments,  and  looked  into 
the  foundry.  The  foreman  remarked  with  pride 
that  every  "floor"  was  full,  and  pointed  to 

(13) 


194  MEMORIES   OF   THE    CRUSADE. 

some  thirty  molders,  sober  and  hard  at  work, 
with  the  remark  that  ' '  such  a  thing  had  never 
occurred  before  in  his  experience,"  the  fact 
being  notorious  that  the  Monday  after  pay-day 
a  number  of  hands  are  expected  to  be  disabled 
from  their  Sunday's  excesses. 

Our  Tuesday  evening  meetings  were  kept  up 
still  with  unabated  interest,  always  thronged  with 
eager  listeners.  At  these  meetings  every  phase 
of  the  temperance  question  was  discussed  by 
the  prominent  business  and  professional  men  of 
the  city,  as  well  as  the  ministers  and  the  ladies, 
often  developing  rare,  latent,  talent,  especially 
among  the  ladies.  The  conduct  and  tone  were 
strictly  of  a  religious  character,  and  our  music  con- 
ducted by  the  best  musicians  of  the  city. 

There  was  a  solemnity  about  the  work  that 
seemed  to  awe  and  touch  all  hearts.  Our  songs, 
as  I  had  hoped,  were  taken  up  on  the  lips  of  the 
men  and  boys  on  the  street.  Men  who  had  been 
accustomed  in  the  past  to  sing  their  bacchanalian 
songs  as  they  staggered  home  from  their  nightly 
revels,  were  now  heard  on  their  way  from  our 
temperance  meetings  singing  our  Crusade  songs. 

The  people  are  thronging  out  into  their  several 
homeward  streets.  The  night  is  clear  and  frosty 
and  the  sound  of  sweet  song  is  floating  out  on 
the  air  from  manly  voices.  Hear ! 

"  I  am  coming  to  the  cross  ; 

I  am  poor  and  weak  and  blind : 
I  am  counting  all  things  dross, 
I  shall  full  Salvation  find." 


MEMORIES   OF   THE    CRUSADE.  195 

The  refrain  comes  floating  back  from  another 
street : 

"  I  am  trusting,  Lord,  in  Thee, 

Blest  Lamb  of  Calvary, 
Humbly  at  Thy  cross  I  bow, 
Save  me,  Jesus,  save  me  now." 

From  the  West  End  comes, 

"  Rescue  the  perishing,  care  for  the  dying, 

Snatch  them  in  pity  from  sin  and  the  grave." 

Again  floats  back  a  final  stanza  that  seems  to 
be  the  best  suited  to  the  singer's  condition  and 
feelings,  and  dies  away  in  the  distance : 

11  But  all  thro*  the  mountains,  thunder-riven, 

And  up  from  the  rocky  steep, 
There  rose  a  cry  to  the  gate  of  heaven, 

1  Rejoice  !  I  have  found  my  sheep  !' 
And  the  angels  echoed  around  the  throne, 

'Rejoice  !  for  the  Lord  brings  back  his  own.' " 

It  seems  almost  beyond  belief,  considering  the 
apathy  and  indifference  of  to-day,  except  of  the 
faithful  few,  that  any  day  and  any  hour  of  the 
day  or  evening,  our  meetings  were  crowded  by 
men  and  women. 

We  held  a  meeting  every  morning  from  9  to 
10  o'clock,  and  every  important  business  house 
in  the  city  was  closed  during  the  service.  As 
you  passed  along  the  streets  you  would  see  the 
card  on  the  door,  "Closed  from  9  to  10."  I 
never  heard  of  any  one's  business,  except  that  of 
the  saloon-keeper,  suffering  by  it. 

The  most  prominent  business  men  took  an 
active  part,  presiding  and  speaking,  ministers  of 
all  denominations  v.  orked  in  perfect  harmony. 


196  MEMORIES   OF  THE    CRUSADE. 

And  while  the  new  Catholic  priest,  Father  Sidley, 
did  not  join  us,  he  did  preach  temperance  to  his 
people,  and  has  continued  through  all  these  years 
to  wield  a  good  influence  for  temperance  among 
his  people.  And  our  editors  were  keeping  the 
world  posted  as  to  the  progress  of  our  work,  and 
strangers  were  coming  from  other  cities  to  wit- 
ness this  marvelous  uprising.  We,  early  in  the 
work,  inaugurated  Sabbath  afternoon  meetings. 
These  we  started  in  the  largest  church,  but  it  at 
once  overflowed  into  the  lecture  room.  Then  we 
opened  in  another  church  at  the  same^hpur,  and 
it  overflowed  into  the  basement. 

We  were  in  this  state  of  white-heat  when  one 

of  these  visitors,  Dr.  D ,  of  Cincinnati,  came 

up,  and  in  one  of  our  Sabbath  meetings  told  us 
that  having  heard  of  the  great  temperance  excite- 
ment in  our  city,  he  had  caught  up  his  gripsack 
and  started  for  the  scene  of  the  battle,  feeling  a 
glow  of  enthusiasm,  as  he  sped  onward,  at  the 
thought  that  he  was  actually  going  to  witness 
this  wonderful  phenomenon  with  his  own  eyes. 

It  was  my  habit  to  pass  from  one  to  another 
of  these  meetings,  noting  and  reporting  progress. 

I  remember  on  one  occasion,  I  said  I  was  an 
old-fashioned  shouting  Methodist,  and  I  felt  then 
like  shouting  the  praise  of  God  as  I  witnessed 
such  blessed  results  of  our  labors.  At  the  .close 
of  the  meeting,  our  Rev.  Dr.  Clokey,  of  the 
U.  P.  Church,  grasped  my  hand,  saying,  "Mother 
Stewart  thinks  none  but  a  Methodist  can  shout 
over  this  work,  I  feel  like  shouting  myself." 


MKMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

Precious  and  faithful  servant  of  the  Most  High, 
he  never  knew  the  strength  and  encouragement 
we  received  from  his  prayers,  in  our  behalf,  that 
seemed  to  lay  hold  on  the  arm  of  the  Lord ;  and 
from  his  counsels  when  he  drew  from  the  store- 
house of  God's  word,  as  I  never  heard  any  other 
minister  with  such  aptness  and  unction,  the  treas- 
ures, "new  and  old."  Though  the  feebleness 
of  age  was  upon  him,  he  would  be  with  us 
every  morning  to  watch  the  progress  of  the 
work,  only  yielding  at  last  to  overpowering 
weariness.  "Write,"  saith  the  angel ;  "  Write, 
Blessed  are  the  dead  who  die  in  the  Lord,  for 
they  rest  from  their  labors,  and  their  works  do 
follow  them." 

Sometime  since  a  "  guarantee  fund  "  had  been 
subscribed,  amounting  to  $150,000,  I  think  it 
was.  We  were  near  the  fruition  of  our  hopes ; 
and  it  only  needed  a  little  stronger  support  on 
the  part  of  the  men,  in  demanding  the  enforce- 
ment of  the  law,  to  make  a  perfect  work  of  it. 
But  that  support  did  not  come.  Like  those  in 
so  many  other  places,  they  had  taken  up  the 
mistaken  notion  that  the  Lord  was  going  to  re- 
lieve them  of  all  responsibility  by  giving  their 
work  into  the  hands  of  the  women.  And  so  they 
quietly  waited  to  see  the  women  grapple  with, 
and  as  they  hoped,  throttle  the  hydra-headed 
monster. 

But  we  were  still  full  of  hope,  and  our  hearts 
were  almost  hourly  cheered  by  the  news  that 
was  pouring  in  from  all  quarters.  At  our  morn- 


198  MEMORIES  OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

ing  meetings  a  telegram  would  be  handed  me 
saying,  ' '  We  commenced  work  to-day,  the 
women  are  marching,"  or,  "Another  surrender 
to-day,"  "Two  more  surrenders,"  "Three,  four 
to-day."  Then  we  sang 

"  All  hail  the  power  of  Jesus'  name." 

Again  a  letter  is  put  into  my  hand,  saying, 
"We  closed  our  last  saloon  yesterday.  Oh,  I 
wish  you  had  been  here.  We  celebrated  our 
jubilee  with  ringing  of  bells  and  bonfires,  and  songs 
of  triumph ;  and  oh,  everybody  is  so  happy,  we 
love  everybody.  Only  think  of  it !  We  slept 
last  night  without  a  saloon  in  the  place.  Not  a 
drop  of  liquor  to  be  had. "  Then  we  sang, 

"  Praise  God  from  whom  all  blessings  flow." 

All  the  principal  towns  in  the  State  had  taken 
up  the  work,  or  were  preparing  to.  The  flames 
had  spread  like  fire  in  the  prairies.  They  had 
lapped  over  into  Indiana  and  Pennsylvania.  The 
sparks  had  flown  on  the  wings  of.  the  wind — or 
flashed  along  the  wires — and  caught  in  the  prairies 
of  Illinois  and  Iowa,  and  in  the  timbers  of  Mich- 
igan. West  Virginia,  up  in  the  mountains,  was 
moving.  New  York  city  was  holding  meetings 
and  soon  entered  into  the  work  with  such  lead- 
ers as  Mrs.  II .  E.  Brown,  Mrs.  Knox,  Mrs. 
McClees,  who  have  continued  steadfast  and  faith- 
ful to  the  present.  And  so  with  Brooklyn,  where 
Mrs.  Hart  and  Mary  C.  Johnson  were  active 
leaders.  In  Philadelphia  a  most  remarkable 
work  was  done,  Mrs  H,  N.  K.  Goff  and  other 
competent  ladies  leading  the  hosts. 


MEMORIES    OF   THE    CRUSADE. 


I99 


The  Pacific  coast  was  falling  into  line.  A 
spark  had  flown  wild  and  lit  way  in  the  mountains 
of  East  Tennessee,  and  kindled  a  blaze  in  Green- 
ville, the  home  of  Ex- President  Johnson.  Rev. 
R.  D.  Black,  an  Ohio  man,  was  stationed  there  ; 
and  his  wife,  a  talented  and  pious  lady,  upon 
hearing  of  the  glorious  work  in  Ohio,  called  the 
Christian  ladies  together,  organized,  and  led  them 
out.  And  they  succeeded  in  closing  out  all  but 
one  or  two  of  the  drinking  places  in  the  town. 
The  Ex-President  would  come  and  stand  at  a 
respectful  distance,  with  his  hands  in  his  pockets, 
using  language  more  forcible  than  refined  in  re- 
gard to  that  " Yankee  woman  who  had  come 

down  there  to  make  the  Southern  ladies  unsex 
themselves."  There  might  have  been  some  little 
personal  solicitude  in  regard  to  the  equalizing  of 
supply  and  demand. 

Yes,  the  glad  news  is  sweeping  around  the 
world.  Here  comes  a  paper  from  Bremen,  Ger- 
many, sent  by  some  unknown  friend,  telling  all 
about  the  "  Womens'  Whisky  war  in  Ohio." 
The  one  all-absorbing  topic  is  the  Ohio  Crusade. 
Ministers  preach  about  it  and  pray  for  it.  In 
stores,  places  of  business,  street  corners,  club- 
rooms,  the  fireside,  the  theme  of  press  and  peo- 
ple is  the  Crusade. 

It  has  been  my  purpose  to  convey,  as  far  as 
possible,  a  correct  idea  to  the  reader  of  the 
influences  that  set  in  motion  and  controlled  the 
women's  uprising  against  the  liquor  crime.  And 
yet  I  feel  all  the  time  that  I  am  not  succeeding. 


2OO  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

It  is,  indeed,  almost  an  impossibility  for  one  who 
has  not  been  a  participant,  or  at  least  an  eye- 
witness of  the  movement,  to  form  a  correct 
judgment  of  it.  Many  have  visited  the  scenes 
with  their  minds  prejudiced  against  it,  but  I 
scarcely  ever  saw  one  such  who  did  not  change 
his  opinion  upon  seeing  it  for  himself. 

I  have  in  my  travels  met  persons  who  declared 
very  emphatically  that  they  "did  not  approve  of, 
did  not  believe  in  the  Crusade. "  But  a  little  in- 
quiry would  disclose  the  fact  that  they  only  had 
their  knowledge  from  hearsay. 

The  following  from  the  editor  of  the  Springfield 
Republic,  who  was,  from  the  first,  a  close  observer 
and  warm  supporter  of  our  work,  will  perhaps 
convey  the  true  animus  of  the  work  better  than 
I  am  able  to.  He  says : 

Certain  journalists  at  a  distance  are  criticising  the 
women's  movement  in  Ohio  with  some  severity,  and 
the  immense  amount  of  worldly  wisdom  they  exhibit 
is  something  fearful  to  contemplate.  These  persons 
are  well-meaning  and  clever  fellows,  doubtless,  but 
the  fact  is  that  they  don't  know  anything  about  the 
matter ! 

The  telegraphic  reports  and  newspaper  accounts 
that  come  under  their  notice  have  failed  to  give  the 
spirit  of  the  movement,  and  have  certainly  failed  to 
give  an  adequate  idea  of  its  power.  Our  friends 
abroad  may  as  well  understand  at  the  outset  that  a 
mighty  revolution  is  in  progress  in  Ohio ;  and  such 
a  revolution  as  has  not  been  seen  on  the  face  of  the 
earth  in  a  hundred  years — or  in  fact  a  thousand 
years.  We  are  having  such  a  great  awakening  as 
men  now  living  have  never  known  before.  Persons 
heretofore  having  no  belief  in  the  supernatural,  or 
faith  in  what  is  known  as  prayer,  have  become  con- 
verted by  the  spirit  and  power  of  this  movement, 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 


201 


and  are  glad  to  feel  and  to  acknowledge  that  the 
women  are  inspired  by  God's  Spirit  and  nerved  and 
strengthened  by  Almighty  power.  Liquor-sellers  say 
11  We  don't  know  what  to  do.  We  can't  resist  these 
praying  women !  If  the  men  would  approach  us  we 
would  kick  them  out," — and  they  would,  too,  if  their 
muscle  proved  equal  to  their  desire.  "But,  these 
women  pray  and  sing  so  beautifully  that  we  cannot 
resist  them !  If  they  keep  coming  we  will  be  forced 
to  surrender."  Can  any  man  clothed  in  his  right 
mind  object  to  such  a  work  as  this  ?  It  may  be  that 
things  are  said  and  done  by  persons  that  are  not 
judicious.  This  cannot  be  avoided.  The  spirit  of 
the  movement,  however,  is  Christ-like  and  grand. 

It  was  a  source  of  grief  and  many  tears  that 
"some  persons,"  as  the  editor  observed,  said 
and  did  unwise  things.  Many  were  swept  into 
the  movement  by  the  excitement  and  the  eclat 
that  seemed  to  attach  to  a  Crusader,  but  did  not 
comprehend  the  deep,  spiritual  meaning  and 
significance  of  the  work.  They  seemed  to  see  in 
it  an  opportunity  for  acquiring  a  little  notoriety, 
or  possibly  of  displaying  talents  they  thought 
they  possessed.  Of  course  such  elements,  where- 
ever  found,  created  discord  and  did  harm.  But 
such  things  are  encountered  in  every  channel  of 
benevolent  work,  proving  a  trial  of  patience, 
there  seeming  to  be  no  way  to  avoid  it.  These 
were  not  of  those  who  continued  in  well-doing. 

On  Wednesday,  February  i8th,  another  all- 
day  prayer-meeting  was  held,  the  interest  being 
sustained  to  the  close.  And  at  the  same  time  the 
visiting  of  saloons  was  prosecuted  with  great 
enthusiasm.  This  evening  I  was  called  to  "  Con- 
gress Hall,"  a  very  excellent  neighborhood, 
some  three  miles  from  the  city,  where  the  ladies 


2O2  MEMORIES  OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

organized  themselves  into  a  sort  of  relief  corps, 
to  assist  their  sisters  in  the  city,  and  passed  the 
following  resolution : 

We,  the  undersigned  ladies  of  Congress  Hall,  send 
greeting  to  the  ladies  of  Springfield,  bidding  them 
God-speed  in  their  noble  work  against  the  liquor 
traffic.  And  we  hereby  form  ourselves  into  a  volun- 
tary committee,  ready  to  march  to  their  aid  when- 
ever called  upon. 

To  this,  nearly  the  entire  audience  of  ladies  ap- 
pended their  names.  And  they  did  come  and 
give  valuable  aid,  as  did  the  ladies  of  other  neigh- 
borhoods. 

These  good  ladies  also  passed  a  resolution 
pledging  themselves  not  to  buy  any  goods  or 
groceries  of  any  one  in  Springfield  who  also 
sold  liquors.  This  was  a  very  telling  stroke  upon 
some  of  the  grocers,  especially  the  redoubt- 
able Zischler,  who  had  a  large  country  patron- 
age. 

At  the  close  of  our  meeting,  I  went  out  to  take 
the  carriage  for  home,  and  lo !  the  whole  hori- 
zon in  the  direction  of  my  house  was  illumi- 
nated, and  great  tongues  of  fire  were  leaping  up 
against  the  western  sky.  "Oh, "  I  exclaimed, 
"  My  house  is  on  fire."  The  friends  tried  to 
allay  my  alarm,  but  to  little  purpose.  My  hus- 
band and  niece  were  both  out  that  evening  and 
my  house  was  alone.  The  liquor  men  knew  I  was 
doing  all  I  could  to  ruin  their  business,  though 
they  had  no  reason  to  think  I  would  do  them  or 
theirs  any  personal  harm.  But  I  presumed  they 
had  taken  advantage  of  my  absence  to  set  fire  to 


MEMORIES   OF   THE    CRUSADE. 


203 


my  home.  I  requested  my  friend  to  drive  as  fast 
as  he  could.  He  tried  to  quiet  my  fears  by  tell- 
ing me  the  fire  was  quite  beyond  my  place,  was 
too  far  south.  But  by  this  time  I  could  not 
talk.  How  slowly  the  horses  crept  over  the 
ground.  Oh,  I  wished  they  would  rise  and  fly 
through  the  air.  I  had,  when  I  entered  upon 
my  work,  so  foolishly  said  I  had  * '  laid  all  upon 
the  altar."  How  little  did  I  know  what  that 
involved?  I  had,  indeed, expected  that  the  liquor 
men  would  slander  me  and  say  evil  things  of  me; 
but  my  beautiful  home  I  had  not  thought  of. 
No  stately  palace,  but  my  home,  and  the  last  of 
what  was  once  at  least  a  comfortable  compe- 
tence, and  dearer,  now  that  I,  as  I  supposed,  saw 
it  crumbling  into  ashes,  than  ever  before.  And 
there  were  my  worldly  goods,  the  furnishing  that 
made  it  home.  My  books,  precious  souvenirs 
and  keepsakes  of  dear  ones  who  had  gone. 
There  was  my  mother's  old  wedding  ring,  a  lock 
of  her  golden  hair,  though  she  had  been  in  the 
grave  more  than  fifty  years.  Oh,  why  didn't 
the  horses  fly?  When  we  reached  the  city  limits, 
I  directed  the  gentleman  to  strike  into  such  a 
street  as  would  bring  me  soonest  home — the 
shortest  route.  Striking  into  High  street,  my 
friend  said,  ' '  Why,  there  is  no  one  on  the  street. " 
I  thought  "No,  everybody  knows  Mother  Stew- 
art's house  is  on  fire,  and  the  whole  city  is 
there." 

By  this  time  the  smoke  and  cinders  were  en- 
veloping us ;  and  not  till  we  turned  into  my  own 


2O4  MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

street,  a  square  from  my  house,  was  my  agony 
of  alarm  relieved. 

Thank  God,  my  home  was  safe.  I  had,  indeed, 
wrongfully  suspected  the  saloon-keepers.  It 
was  an  unimportant  building,  though  in  a  line 
with  mine,  farther  west.  But  by  that  experience 
I  learned  some  important  lessons.  One  was  that 
we  do  not  know  till  we  are  placed  in  the  crucible, 
how  strong  are  the  influences  that  control  us. 
And  another  was  that  when  we  are  in  dead  earn- 
est, we  are  not  likely  to  hesitate  as  to  ways  or 
means,  but  will  take  the  shortest  and  most  effec- 
tive way  to  accomplish  our  purpose.  And  thus 
will  it  be  when  the  Christians  of  this  nation  come 
to  see  the  liquor  curse  in  its  enormity,  with  its 
woe  and  misery. 

They  will  no  longer  parley  as  to  expediency, 
or  whether  it  will  affect  their  political  interests, 
but  as  one  man  will  arise  and  sweep  it  off  the 
face  of  this  fair  land. 


II 


CHAPTER    XI. 


First  Surrender  and  Exciting  Scenes. 


THINK  the  next  town  after  those  I  have 
already  mentioned,  to  take  up  the  Crusade 
work,  was  Morrow,  in  Warren  county. 
This  town,  though  well  situated,  lying  on  the 
east  bank  of  the  Miami,  with  a  good  country 
surrounding,  and  having  many  intelligent  citi- 
zens, was  impoverished  and  demoralized  to  an 
alarming  degree  by  the  saloons, — being  fifteen 
to  eleven  hundred  population.  The  ladies, 
hearing  the  wonderful  news  of  the  work  in  those 
towns,  sent  Miss  Henrietta  G.  Moore  as  their 
embassador  to  the  ladies  of  Wilmington,  with 
the  Macedonian  call,  ' '  Come  over  and  help 
us!"  They  accordingly  sent  over  two  of  their 
most  efficient  workers,  Mary  Hadley,  a  minister 
of  the  Friends'  denomination,  and  Mrs.  Runyan, 
wife  of  the  Methodist  minister,  who,  with  their 
glowing  reports  of  their  work  and  success,  their 
enthusiasm  and  encouragement,  soon  had  a 
band  of  sixty  women  organized  and  marching 
through  the  streets  and  visiting  saloons, — the 
brethren,  as  usual,  remaining  in  the  sanctuary 
to  pray.  Among  those  who  tarried  at  the  altar 

205 


2O6  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

that  morning  was  the  venerable,  war-worn  soldier, 
Louis  Fairchild,  who  had  met  the  enemy  in 
many  a  fierce  conflict,  and  had  been  treated  to 
their  strong  knock-down  arguments,  rotten  eggs 
and  accompaniments,  for  more  than  a  generation. 
But  he  was  still  full  of  hope  and  zeal,  and  ready 
to  help  forward  this  new  method  of  dealing  with 
them.  But  the  field  was  a  hard  one,  and  the  liquor 
men,  or  saloon-keepers  more  correctly,  for  one,  at 
least,  was  a  woman,  were  unyielding.  Henry 
Schied,  proposing  to  follow  the  example  of  Dunn, 
brought  suit  against  the  temperance  people  for 
interfering  with  his  business,  naming  over  a 
hundred  ladies,  with  several  gentlemen,  in  his 
appeal  to  the  courts  for  protection  in  his  ' '  legiti- 
mate business  and  orderly  house."  The  case 
was  tried  at  Lebanon  before  Judge  Smith.  Forty 
ladies  marched  in  Crusade  file  to  the  hall  of 
justice.  The  ladies  of  Lebanon  furnished  them 
a  sumptuous  banquet,  and  the  interest  in  the 
case  was  intense. 

The  temperance  friends  had  the  best  of  coun- 
sel, and  the  Judge,  deciding  impartially  on  the 
merits  of  the  case,  dissolved  the  injunction, 
holding  that  the  women's  singing  and  prayers 
in  or  before  a  saloon  could  not  be  considered  as 
illegally  interfering  or  obstructing  his  business. 
The  people  of  Morrow  made  it  an  occasion  of 
great  rejoicing;  the  band  paraded  the  streets, 
playing  their  most  inspiring  music,  followed  by 
a  great  procession  of  men,  women  and  children. 
All  the  church  and  school-bells  in  the  town  pealed 


MEMORIES    OF   THE    CRUSADE.  2O/ 

forth  their  most  exultant  clangor,  while  two  or 
three  locomotives  lying  on  the  tracks,  joined  in 
with  screeching  whistles  and  bell  accompaniment. 
The  Crusaders  hastened  to  the  sanctuary  with 
prayers,  songs  and  speeches,  to  express  their 
gratitude  to  God  for  their  victory.  Hundreds 
of  the  people  in  the  surrounding  country,  hear- 
ing the  tumult  from  afar,  supposed  the  town 
must  be  in  flames  and  hastened  to  the  scene  and 
swelled  the  crowd  and  the  glad  discordant 
jubilation. 

But  it  was  too  much  for  the  respectable  saloon- 
keeper, Schied  —  he  closed  up  and  left  the 
town.  I  neglected  to  say  in  the  proper  place, 
that  in  the  list  of  obstructionists  that  the  respect- 
able liquor-vender  presented,  were  Dio  Lewis, 
VanPelt  and  others,  who  happened  that  morn- 
ing, February  i/th,  to  be  passing  through  the 
town,  and  while  the  train  made  its  necessary 
halt,  they  stood  on  the  platform  shaking  hands 
with  the  Crusaders  and  saying  words  of  encour- 
agement. It  was  not  long  until  the  council 
passed  the  ' '  McConnelsville  Ordinance,"  and 
closed  out  the  business  in  Morrow — for  the  time. 

Among  that  faithful  and  determined  hundred 
women  was  a  young  teacher  of  rare  talents  and 
ability,  who  had  suffered  much  through  those 
dear  to  her,  at  the  hands  of  the  liquor-sellers, 
and  lost  her  position — though  so  competent  a 
teacher — through  the  revengeful  influence  of 
some  of  those  "  noble,  generous-hearted  fellows" 
in  the  School  Board.  But  she  was  destined  for 


2O8  MEMORIES    OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

a  much  wider  field  of  action.  She  has  long 
since  proved  herself  one  of  the  most  powerful 
advocates  of  our  cause  before  the  public,  every- 
where winning  laurels  for  herself  and  the  cause 
to  which  she  has  devoted  her  life, — Miss  Henri- 
etta G.  Moore. 

At  Greenfield,  a  very  pretty  little  town  in 
Highland  county,  the  women  began  their  work 
on  January  1 2th,  and  in  six  weeks  eleven  saloons 
were  closed  and  three  druggists  had  signed  the 
dealers'  pledge  ;  and  it  was  not  long  till  all  were 
closed,  a  blessed  work,  by  the  combined  efforts 
of  women  and  men.  And  here,  as  everywhere, 
were  incidents  of  most  touching  character  that  I 
would  be  glad  to  relate,  and  my  readers  to  know, 
but  the  fear  of  swelling  this  volume  to  undue 
proportions  restrains  me.  If  admissible,  I 
could  write  on  and  on  of  these  wonderful  scenes. 
Greenfield  has  had  a  peculiar  and  varied  experi- 
ence on  the  liquor  question.  In  1865,  a  very 
great  excitement  was  caused  by  the  murder  of  a 
worthy  young  man  as  he  was  quietly  passing  a 
saloon  on  the  street ;  a  shot  aimed  at  some  party 
in  the  saloon  found  a  lodgment  in  the  young  man 
in  the  street,  with  fatal  results.  The  victim  was 
the  son  and  only  support  of  an  aged  and  feeble 
widow.  There  was  no  law  to  reach  the  case,  but 
a  large  number  of  the  respectable  ladies  of  the 
town,  after  some  secret  counsels,  accompanied 
by  the  bereaved  mother,  proceeded  to  the  saloon 
and  with  axes  and  other  weapons  knocked  in  the 
heads  of  barrels  and  casks,  and  demolished  bot- 
tles and  fixtures 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  209 

There  was  law  in  our  great  State  to  meet 
this  case.  It  called  them  a  mob,  rioters,  dis- 
turbers of  the  peace,  destroyers  of  valuable  (?) 
property ;  they  had  interfered  with  a  man's  lawful 
business.  The  prosecution,  in  the  list  of  ladies 
complained  of,  named  one  who  stood  at  a  dis- 
tance, in  no  way  participating,  but  seeing  the 
liquor  leap  out  of  a  barrel  as  a  lady  brought 
down  the  ax  upon  it,  she  clapped  her  hands, — 
she  was,  perse,  an  abettor;  but  he  was  very  care- 
ful not  to  name  the  mother  of  the  murdered 
young  man.  Of  course  the  women  were  arrested 
and  had  to  appear  before  the  Grand  Jury.  But 
by  the  good  management  of  their  counsel,  Hon. 
Mills  Gardiner,  they  were  acquitted,  after  a 
hearing  of  a  week.  No  !  let  no  woman  presume 
that  she  may  lift  her  puny  arm  to  protect  her 
boy  from  those  dens  of  destruction.  She  may 
not  exercise  even  the  mother  instinct  given 
the  dumb  brute  for  the  protection  of  her  young ; 
neither  shall  she  have  the  privilege  of  helping  to 
make  such  laws  as  would  close  those  places! 
Oh,  no !  that  would  be  shocking,  unwomanly, 
a  thing  not  to  be  thought  of.  But  thanks  be  to 
the  Lord,  in  our  extremity  He  devised  a  way. 
What  wonder  that  on  every  street  in  all  the 
State  floated  out  on  the  air  in  plaintive  strains — 

"  What  a.  friend  we  hare  in  Jesus, 

All  our  sins  and  griefs  to  bear  ; 
What  a  privilege  to  carry 

Everything  to  God  in  prayer." 

And  what  wonder  we  held  with  such  tenacious 


(14) 


2IO  MEMORIES  OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

faith  to  the  arm  of  Omnipotence  while  we  pleaded 
that  He  would  avenge  us  of  our  enemy. 

But  the  blessed  Crusade  is  no  longer  restrain- 
ing men  from  their  deadly  work ;  they  are  doing 
a  thriving  business  in  crazing  men  and  exciting 
their  baser  passions  to  deeds  of  violence  and 
murder. 

During  our  campaign  for  the  prohibitory 
amendment,  I  was  passing  through  Greenfield, 
when  a  man  boarded  the  train  and  proceeded  to 
tell  the  passengers  of  a  terrible,  double  murder 
that  had  been  committed  near  there  two  nights 
before,  and  saying  that  the  murderer  was  then 
undergoing  his  examination.  He  had  come  into 
town  on  Saturday  and  became  intoxicated.  On 
going  to  his  buggy  to  start  for  home  he  found 
some  one  had  taken  his  buffalo-robe.  Parties 
standing  near  suggested  that  it  might  be  a  couple 
of  young  men — naming  them — who  also  lived  in 
the  country,  and  were  in  the  habit  of  coming 
into  town  on  Saturdays  and,  of  course,  getting 
drunk,  and  often  committing  some  mischief, 
more  for  the  love  of  it  than  from  viciousness. 
There  was  no  proof,  however,  that  in  this 
instance  they  were  the  offenders.  But  the  man 
was  just  in  the  condition  to  be  greatly  excited 
over  the  supposed  offense,  and  upon  reaching 
the  home  of  the  young  men,  he  called  to  them 
to  come  out.  One  went  out  to  him,  when  he 
deliberately  shot  him;  the  other  followed  and 
was  also  shot,  but  the  wound  did  not  prove  to  be 
immediately  fatal.  The  murderer  rode  on  home 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 


211 


and  the  poor,  widowed  mother  went  out  and 
dragged  her  dead  buy  in,  and  by  some  super- 
human power  got  him  onto  the  bed ;  then  the 
wounded  and  dying  boy  was  brought  in.  And 
through  the  weary  hours  of  the  night  she  passed 
her  time  in  going  from  one  to  the  other  with  her 
plaint  of  woe.  When  discovered  by  some  of 
the  neighbors  next  morning,  she  was  still  going 
from  one  bed  to  the  other,  so  nearly  insane  that 
she  did  not  seem  to  know  which  was  dead  or 
which  dying,  with  her  heart-rending  wail:  "Oh, 
who  could  hurt  my  poor  boys  !  Oh,  who  would 
murder  my  darling  boys !  They  were  all  I  had, 
and  they  were  so  good  and  loving !"  They  were, 
indeed,  known  to  be  industrious,  taking  good 
care  of  the  farm  and  devotedly  loving  and  tender 
towards  their  mother.  But  like  so  many  other 
young  farmers,  and  old  ones  too,  they  had  the 
habit  which  led  to  their  destruction. 

A  few  weeks  later  I  was  called  to  Greenfield  by 
the  W.  C.  T.  U. ,  when  I  learned  that  the  murderer 
was  out  on  bail  and  was  at  one  of  my  meetings. 
I  never  heard  the  finale,  but  suppose  he  was 
acquitted,  as  he  boasted  he  would  be.  Oh!  will 
men  never,  never  come  to  a  sense  of  their  duty 
in  regard  to  this  accursed  traffic  in  the  souls  of 
men  ? 

At  Xenia  Dio  Lewis  organized  the  women's 
praying  bands,  or  Crusaders,  on  February  nth, 
before  coming  to  Springfield.  Being  blessed 
with  a  large  number  of  ladies  of  superior  intelli- 
gence and  sterling  piety,  who  were  backed  by  a 


212  MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

strong  force  of  men  worthy  of  such  wives,  noth- 
ing less  than  glorious  victory  was  to  be  expected. 
Before  me  lies  a  letter  addressed  to  the  Cincin- 
nati Gazette,  dated  February  I3th,  from  which  I 
copy  the  following : 

If  anyone  has  the  impression  that  the  women  en- 
gaged in  this  work  are  not  of  the  best  and  most 
influential  in  Xenia,  there  could  not  be  a  greater 
mistake.  If  their  names  were  given  they  would  be 
recognized  as  the  equals  of  the  first  women  in  any 
city  in  the  United  States,  but  they  would  shrink  from 
any  unnecessary  publicity.  Judged  by  the  standard 
of  intelligence,  social  position,  financial  standing  and 
Christian  character,  they  rank  among  the  foremost. 
Their  meeting,  this  dreary,  wet  morning,  at  9  o'clock, 
was  full  of  ardor.  Many  encouraging  facts  were 
given,  showing  how  fully  the  movement  has  the 
support  of  the  citizens.  Mr.  Davis  Piper  had  offered 
to  furnish  carriages  from  his  livery  stable,  to  be 
placed  around  the  (t  Shades  of  Death,"  for  the 
accommodation  of  the  women,  if  they  wished  to  hold 
the  situation  later  in  the  night.  Mr.  Richardson 
offered  his  large  omnibus  to  move  the  ladies  from 
one  point  to  another  during  the  work.  Mine  host 
Bradley,  of  the  St.  George,  also  tendered  a  carriage 
for  the  same  purpose. 

The  women's  meeting  sent  their  greetings  to 
their  sisters  in  Springfield  by  a  telegraph  dis- 
patch, citing  First  Corinthians,  I5th  chapter, 
$8th  verse. 

Says  the  Commercial  reporter : 

I  left  Xenia  with  the  impression  that  it  was  too 
rigidly  conservative  for  the  temperance  war ;  a  week 
after  I  returned  and  found  the  city  ablaze  with 
excitement, — at  least  five  hundred  ladies  were  in  the 
movement,  either  directly  at  work  or  assisting  those 
who  were. 

Every  respectable  family  in  the  place  was  repre- 
sented. The  Scotch  Seceders,  who  are  numerous, 
were  peculiarly  active.  Ladies  who  had  obeyed  St 


MEMORIES  OF   THE   CRUSADE.  213 

Paul's  ( supposed )  injunction  most  religiously,  now 
prayed  in  the  streets  with  the  fervor  of  Methodist 
exhorters.  Ministers  who  had  written  elaborately 
to  prove  that  Christians  should  sing  only  the  metrical 
version  of  the  Psalms,  in  accordance  with  the  creed 
of  that  church,  now  sang  the  song  to  the  inspiring 
tune  of  "John  Brown's  Body." 

The  wall  of  separation  between  the  various 
churches  seemed  completely  broken  down.  Here- 
tofore the  attentive  observer  hearing  a  prayer  could 
distinguish  by  the  tone  and  style  whether  it  was 
Seceder,  Methodist,  or  other  Sectarian ;  but  now 
the  nicest  ear  could  not  distinguish — all  prayed  just 
alike.  All  seemed  as  sisters  in  Christ,  and  the 
sanguine  were  led  to  hope  that  this  movement  would 
even  lead  to  a  complete  union  between  the  sects.  I 
was  witness  to  one  most  remarkable  scene,  probably 
the  most  thrilling  in  the  course  of  this  movement 
On  Whitman  street,  in  a  space  of  six  hundred  yards, 
were  nine  saloons,  several  of  such  bad  repute  that 
they  were  known  as  "Shades  of  Death,"  "Mules 

r,"  "Certain  Death,"  "Hell's  Half  Acre"  and 
"  Devil's  Den."  Visiting  this  locality  I  found  five 
bands  of  ladies  at  work. 

Miss  Laura  Hicks,  teacher,  had  brought  her  entire 
school  of  young  girls  to  the  work  for  the  afternoon, 
and  they  were  singing  in  front  of  Gleason's  saloon. 
On  each  side  extended  a  long  line  of  spectators, 
leaving  only  a  narrow  space  in  the  middle  of  the 
street.  Led  by  their  teacher,  the  children  were 
singing — 

"  Say,  Mr.  Barkeeper,  has  father  been  here  ?" 

Those  familiar  with  that  song  will  remember  that 
the  child  is  represented  as  seeking  his  father  through 
all  his  usual  haunts,  and  finding  him  in  jail  for  some 
offense  committed  when  drunk ;  that  he  then  inter- 
cedes with  the  jailor  and  finally  convinces  him  that 
it  was  not  his  father  who  did  the  deed,  but  liquor 
that  drove  him  wild. 

There  was  more  than  one  among  the  spectators  to 
whom  that  song  represented  literal  fact.  Again  the 
<  hildren  sang,  then  extracts  from  Scripture  were 
read,  and  a  lady  with  a  clear,  sweet  voice  offered 
the  following  prayer  : 


214  MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE. 

"  Oh,  Lord,  our  hope  in  time  of  need,  we  prostrate 
ourselves  in  the  dust  before  Thee  to  beg  for  the  lives 
of  our  fathers,  our  brothers,  and  our  sons.  Oh,  God, 
help  us  to  save  dying  men;  help  us  to  rescue  the 
idols  of  our  love; — dying  men  are  all  around  us, 
they  crowd  us  in  the  streets ;  we  look  upon  them  in 
our  homes,  we  shed  tears  of  bitter  anguish  because 
we  cannot  save  them  from  this  traffic  of  death.  Oh, 
Lord,  our  God,  consider  our  tears,  our  breaking 
hearts,  and  send  us  help  to  fight  this  monster  of 
intemperance.  How  long !  oh,  Lord,  how  long ! 
must  we  suffer  on  and  on,  while  we  have  left  the 
power  to  suffer  ?  Oh,  God,  consider  the  tears  of  the 
oppressed,  for  on  the  side  of  the  oppressor  is  power, 
which  Thou  alone  can  crush.  Give  us,  oh,  give  us 
back  our  brothers,  who  are  swept  away  by  this 
torrent  of  intemperance:  come,  dear  Lord,  and 
touch  the  hearts  of  the  dealers  in  ardent  spirits;  send 
down  Thy  spirit  on  this  poor  man  who  still  turns  a 
deaf  ear  to  our  pleading, — he  will  not  listen  to  us. 
Oh,  do  Thou  soften  his  heart  that  he  may  know  our 
agony  and  cease  to  put  evil  in  the  path  of  those  we 
love.  Give  us  access  to  the  heart  of  this  man ;  bless 
him,  Lord,  bless  him  with  the  riches  of  Thy  grace. 
Send  Thy  ministering  Spirit  upon  him  and  his  family. 
We  know  not  how  to  plead  as  we  ought ;  we  know 
not  the  way  to  his  heart.  Oh,  grant  that  no  weak 
or  foolish  act  of  ours  may  injure  the  cause  of  Christ 
or  throw  discredit  on  our  good  work.  Do  Thou 
guide  and  control  us,  make  our  weakness  strength 
and  teach  us  how  to  pray  and  labor  as  we  ought. 
Oh,  Lord,  our  God,  wilt  Thou  not  listen  to  the 
prayer  of  those  made  desolate  by  rum?  Here, 
bowed  before  Thee,  are  widows  and  orphans,  made 
such  by  this  traffic  we  must  call  accursed,  for  Thou 
hast  cursed  it  in  Thy  holy  word.  Oh,  God,  withhold 
the  hand  of  him  that  would  put  the  bottle  to  his 
neighbor's  lips.  We  feel  encouraged  to  labor  on 
against  this  traffic,  which  Thou  hast  condemned.  Oh, 
teach  us  how  to  work  and  give  us  the  victory;  grant 
that  the  rule  of  law  and  temperance  may  be  set  up, 
and  that  righteousness  may  flow  as  a  river,  and  the 
knowledge  of  the  Lord  cover  the  whole  earth :  then 
will  our  sons  no  longer  fall  before  those  who  lie  in 


MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE.  21 5 

wait  for  their  souls ;  and  bring  us  all,  both  the  dealer 
and  those  who  fall  by  the  traffic,  to  see  more  clearly 
the  light  of  Thy  truth,  and  finally  unite  us  at  Thy 
right  hand,  we  ask  for  Jesus'  sake.  Amen." 

I  had  just  returned  to  the  hotel  after  this  scene 
when  I  heard  a  great  shout  in  the  street,  and  soon 
after  all  the  bells  in  the  city  commenced  ringing. 
At  the  same  time  there  arose  a  prolonged  cheer  from 
the  Granger's  Convention  just  across  the  street  from 
the  hotel,  and  it  was  evident  that  something  unusual 
had  happened. 

Going  out  I  saw  crowds  of  people  thronging 
towards  Whitman  street,  and  heard  on  every  hand 
in  joyful  accents,  "The  Shades  of  Death  has  sur- 
rendered!" The  good  news  proved  true,  and  I 
found  Whitman  street  thronged  with  people.  A 
little  before  3  o'clock,  as  it  appeared  from  the  general 
account,  Mr.  Steve  Phillips,  of  the  "  Shades  of 
Death,  '  invited  the  ladies  to  enter,  and  announced 
that  he  gave  up  everything  to  them,  and  would  never 
sell  anything  intoxicating  in  Xenia  again.  Then  the 
ladies,  joined  by  the  spectators,  sang  "  Praise  God 
from  whom  all  blessings  flow,"  while  the  liquors 
were  rolled  into  the  street.  A  half-barrel  of  black- 
berry brandy,  the  same  of  high-wines,  a  few  kegs  of 
beer,  and  some  bottles  of  ale  and  whisky  were  soon 
emptied  into  the  street,  amid  the  shouts  of  the  enthusi- 
astic multitude.  The  leadinglady  then  announced  that 
if  Mr.  Philips  went  into  any  other  business  in  Xenia, 
they  should  feel  it  a  duty  to  support  him.  A  dispatch 
was  sent  to  the  Grangers  ( the  State  Grange  was  in 
session  in  Xenia  at  the  time,)  eliciting  three  cheers, 
and  all  the  bells  were  set  ringing  in  honor  of  the  first 
victory.  When  I  arrived  the  liquor  had  mostly  col- 
lected in  one  depression  in  the  street,  and  such  a 
stench  went  up — "a  rank  offense  that  smelt  to 
ven,"— as  made  me  think  it  a  very  fortunate 
thing  for  somebody's  stomach  that  the  liquor  had 
been  poured  out.  Of  the  women  around,  some  were 
crying,  some  were  laughing,  a  few  alternatly  singing 
1  returning  thanks.  One  elderly  lady  in  the  edge 
of  the  crowd  was  almost  in  hysterics,  but  still  shout- 
ing in  a  hoarse  whisper,  such  as  one  often  hears  at 
camp-meeting:  "Bless  the  Lord!  O,  bless  the 


2l6  MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

Lord !"  She  had  the  appearance  of  a  lady  in  good 
circumstances,  and  a  citizen  informed  me  that  she  is 
ordinarily  one  of  the  quietest,  most  placid  of  women. 
One  of  her  sons  died  of  intemperance,  and  another 
is  much  addicted  to  liquor. 

On  every  side  nothing  was  witnessed  but  smiles, 
laughter,  prayers,  hand-shaking,  and  congratulations. 
The  "  Shades  of  Death''  was  considered  by  the 
temperance  people  as  the  "back-bone  of  the  rebel- 
lion," and  within  twenty-four  hours  four  more  saloons 
surrendered.  The  movement  continues  with  una- 
bated vigor,  and  only  twelve  more  saloons  remain. 
Twenty-nine  have  been  closed. 

Many  of  these  elect  ladies  I  know  personally 
and  count  among  my  warmest  friends.  The 
leader — and  inspiration,  I  may  say — of  the  move- 
ment from  the  beginning,  Mrs.  Monroe,  is  the 
wife  of  one  of  the  leading  business  men  in  the 
place,  a  devoted  member  of  the  United  Presby- 
terian Church,  and  a  lady  of  most  charming  and 
winning  manners.  The  attitude  she  took  is  the 
more  remarkable  when  we  consider  the  extreme 
conservative  views  always  maintained  by  the 
church  in  which  she  was  reared,  in  regard  to 
woman's  position  and  work  in  the  church.  But 
she  gives  us  the  key,  when  referring  to  those  re- 
markable days, — which  she  never  does  without 
manifesting  the  deepest  feeling.  She  says  that  to 
the  kindly  encouragement  and  advice  of  Dr. 
Marley,  one  of  the  Methodist  ministers  of  the 
city,  she  chiefly  owes  her  attitude  then,  and  as  a 
consequence,  her  work  of  the  subsequent  years. 
She  has  continued  faithful  and  true  to  the  present 
time,  and  is  at  this  writing  filling  the  office  of 
State  President  with  peculiar  competence  and 


t/0,11 

for 

the 

| 

ton] 


MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE.  2 1/ 

acceptability.  I  also  recall  Mrs.  Judge  Winans, 
Mrs.  Dodds,  Mrs.  Moore  and  Mrs.  Wilson 
among  that  goodly  company  of  Xenia  Crusaders. 
Of  the  ministers  who  gave  their  prayers  and 
counsel,  were  Rev.  Dr.  Marley,  Revs.  Bedell, 
Ralston,  Carson,  Morehead,  Schaffer  and  Starr, 
and  of  citizens  a  regiment. 

South  Charleston,  a  pretty  and  prosperous 
town  in  our  county,  Clark,  opened  the  war  on 
the  saloons  the  same  day  we  did.  Of  the  work 
in  this  town,  I  find  myself  possessed  of  a 
description  written,  at  my  request,  about  the 
time  I  sailed  for  England,  by  Mrs.  Virginia 
Holmes,  one  of  the  most  active  leaders.  Read- 
ing it  this  morning,  more  than  a  dozen  years 
after  the  events  so  vividly  portrayed,  my  heart 
thrilled  and  the  tears  sprang  to  my  eyes  as  it 
brought  back  the  scenes  of  those  wonderful  days. 

She  says : 

The  women  of  to-day  have,  through  a  baptism  of 
suffering,  developed  a  new  phase  in  the  history  of 
their  sex.  Men  for  ages  have  been  worshiping,  not 
God,  but  a  hideous  serpent,  whose  mammoth  propor- 
tions have  enabled  it  to  swallow  relentlessly  myriads 
of  votaries,  who  have  offered  themselves  living 
sacrifices  to  its  insatiable  demands. 

The  mother  or  wife  readily  recognizes  in  this  crea- 
ture Strong  Drink,  and  in  its  victims,  father,  hus- 
band, sons.  In  the  fear  of  the  Lord,  and  praying 
lor  his  guidance  and  protection,  taking  the  sword  of 
the  Spirit,  and  the  shield  of  faith,  with  the  helmet 
salvation,  and  the  banner  of  our  Savior's  love 
r  us,  we  marched  straight  into  the  presence  of  our 

cmy.  He  raised  his  head,  shot  out  his  forked 
ie  and  thought  to  frighten  us. 

But  we  said  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus  and 
suffering  humanity  we  come.  And  as  the  mouths  of 


2l8  MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

the  lions  of  old  were  stopped,  so  was  the  power  of 
this  beast  to  harm  restrained,  and  the  semblance  of 
death  fell  upon  him  for  about  the  space  of  four 
months.  But,  alas,  even  in  this  seeming  death  he 
deceived  the  too  confident,  who  were  thtreby  thrown 
off  their  watch-tower.  Nevertheless  the  nation  has 
been  aroused  as  never  before,  and  though  we  did  not 
succeed  in  entirely  conquering  our  enemy,  we  did 
awaken  the  public  sentiment,  and  the  \vork  goes  on, 
and  will  till  we  do  gain  the  victory. 

Fancy  the  strangeness  of  the  work;  we,  who  had 
never  in  all  our  lives  entered  one  of  the  dens,  where 
the  beast  made  his  lair,  were  brought  face  to  face 
with  him  day  and  night,  till  his  hated  visage  became 
familiar.  We  did  also  make  the  discovery  that  some 
rum-sellers  at  least  were  susceptible  of  better  im- 
pulses than  their  business  engendered  or  fostered. 
Though  we  watched  their  bars  incessantly  to  prevent 
the  traffic,  they  treated  us  with  uniform  courtesy  with 
but  few  exceptions.  One  instance  I  think  of,  on  a 
bitter  cold  morning,  when  our  patrols  were  almost 
perishing  with  cold,  two  ladies  entered  one  of  the 
most  dreaded  saloons.  The  keeper  professed  great 
solicitude  for  their  comfort,  and  proceeded  to  close 
all  ventilation,  and  with  bar-room  stove  at  white- 
heat,  and  about  a  dozen  stalwart  tobacco  chewers 
spitting  all  over  it,  the  situation  was  fearful.  They 
came  near  fainting,  but  they  did  not  yield  their  post 
till,  fortunately,  a  couple  of  their  sisters  hearing  of 
their  situation,  came  and  called  them  away  to  another 
point.  The  wife  of  this  man  assisted  him  in  the  sale 
of  liquor,  and  vindicated  the  female  character  even 
in  wickedness,  for  while  the  men  were  usually  polite 
she  was  abusive. 

But  the  charity  that  endureth  all  things,  hopeth  all 
things,  sustained  this  consecrated  band  of  women 
through  all  trials,  whether  of  patience,  faith  or  phys- 
ical endurance. 

Our  Crusade  lasted  eight  weeks,  in  the  months  of 
February  and  March,  in  the  midst  of  the  most  in- 
clement weather.  Day  after  day  we  marched  the 
streets,  watching  inside  and  out  of  saloons,  never  al- 
lowing a  moment  in  which  an  unobserved  sale  could 
be  made.  We  met  alternately  at  the  two  churches 


MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE.  2 19 

for  prayer  and  business  meetings  in  the  morning,  and 
again  in  the  afternoon,  in  order  to  form  our  line  of 
march  to  the  saloons,  at  each  of  which  we  formed 
our  positions  into  two  lines,  one  on  each  side  of  the 
pavement.  Then  we  sang  those  precious  hymns  that 
will  always  be  remembered  as  the  rallying  cry  of  the 
army  that  expect  yet  to  take  the  citadel  of  this  arch- 
enemy of  mankind.  And  then  such  petitions  would 
ascend  as  have  seldom  touched  the  great  heart  of  the 
Father,  because  they  were  carried  straight  to  the 
throne  on  the  strong  pinions  of  faith  in  His  beloved 
Son,  and  direct  answers  came  as  a  benediction  to  all 
hearts. 

We  were  armed  with  the  various  pledges  for  saloon- 
keepers, property-holders,  druggists  and  drinkers, 
and  constantly  presented  them  through  committees 
appointed  for  the  purpose.  We  sought  in  all  our  in- 
tercourse with  those  engaged  in  the  business  to  have 
our  hearts  controlled  by  the  chanty  that  suffereth 
long  and  is  kind,  that  is  not  easily  provoked.  And 
we  relied  firmly  upon  our  Savior's  promise,  "  My 
grace  is  sufficient  for  you,"  and  we  were  not  con- 
founded. Our  male  citizens  did  all  they  could  under 
the  circumstances  for  our  comfort  and  the  advance- 
ment of  our  cause.  In  one  instance  they  achieved 
almost  a  miracle.  We  held  two  mass-meetings  each 
k.  in  the  Town  Hall,  which  were  the  largest  and 
most  enthusiastic  meetings  ever  held  in  our  place.  It 
was  at  one  of  these,  after  the  work  had  been  pro- 
gressing some  time,  and  the  weather  bitterly  in- 
clement, that  a  large-hearted  gentleman  proposed  to 
raise  funds  for  the  building  of  a  church  right  in  the 
enemy's  stronghold,  there  being  a  vacant  lot  just 
suited  for  the  purpose.  This  occurred  on  Friday 
night.  The  money  was  raised,  and  all  the  carpenters 
and  men  gave  an  herculean  lift  to  the  wheel,and  the 
next  day — Saturday — at  2  o'clock,  our  church  was 
regularly  dedicated  to  the  service  of  God,  and  stood 
there  before  us  a  monument  of  faith  and  works,  with 
floor,  roof,  windows,  seats  and  glowing  stove,  all  com- 
plete. 

How  thankful  we  felt  for  this  special  providence 
in  our  favor.  Our  Church  overlooked  the  whole  rum 
traffic  in  our  place.  From  it  the  saloon-keepers  could 


.  22O  MEMORIES  OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

hear  the  voices  of  prayer  and  supplication  ascending 
in  their  behalf,  and  in  its  erection  they  saw  a  deter- 
mination of  purpose  that  thoroughly  awed  them.  It 
was  not  long  till  they  began  signing  our  pledge,  one 
at  a  time,  till  every  saloon  was  emptied,  swept  and 
garnished — scrubbed  out,  I  should  say,  and  groceries 
put  in. 

Never  shall  I  forget  the  night  on  which  we  received 
the  intelligence  of  our  first  very  important  surrender. 
Our  meeting  was  unusually  crowded  that  night,  and 
near  the  close  a  messenger  brought  us  the  glad  tidings, 
when  instantly  all  were  on  their  feet ;  and  accom- 
panied by  our  brass  band,  we  poured  forth  like  the 
sound  of  many  waters, 

"  Praise  God  from  whom  all  blessings  flow." 

We  then  formed  a  triumphal  procession,  and  men 
and  women  and  children  marched  to  the  saloon.  The 
band  serenaded  them  while  those  most  interested 
shook  hands  with  and  congratulated  them  as  they 
stood  in  their  door.  Who  will  blame  us  for  feeling 
unspeakably  happy  ?  for  we  saw  the  light  gleaming 
over  the  hill  tops. 

At  each  surrender  we  had  all  the  church  and 
school-bells  ring  out  their  loudest  peals.  All  our 
ladies  who  could,  went  into  the  work,  for  this  was 
no  partisan  movement ;  all  distinction  of  church,  pol- 
itics and  cast  was  ignored,  and  the  sound  of  thanks- 
giving went  up  as  that  of  one  voice.  Religiously 
speaking,  we  had  a  short  millennium.  Oh,  how 
glorious  it  was ! 

But  this  sin-cursed  world  of  ours  is  not  well  adapted 
to  a  millennial  condition.  The  arch  enemy  has  not 
yet  been  chained,  or  entirely  shorn  of  his  power  to 
hurt,  or  work  evil.  What  a  consolation  it  is  to  the 
weary  toiler  that  the  Savior  has  said,  "Fear  not, 
little  flock,  it  is  your  Father's  good  pleasure  to  give 
you  the  kingdom,"  with  the  blessed  assurance,  "Ye 
shall  reap  if  ye  faint  not  "  After  our  village  was  en- 
tirely purged,  we  found  our  work  very  much  dam- 
aged by  a  small  country  saloon  about  three  miles  out. 
So  we  called  a  council  of  war  and  decided  to  march 
against  it.  And  here  again  our  brethren  came  to  our 
aid.  They  hauled  great  quantities  of  wood  and 
piled  it  near  this  house,  and  furnished  us  with  con- 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 


221 


veyances.  Thus  aided,  we  boldly  moved  out  into 
the  woods  and  weather,  and  commenced  our  camp- 
ing gypsy-fashion.  We  made  a  log  fire  well  heaped 
up,  drew  our  conveyance  near  the  fire,  and  having 
provided  ourselves  with  heavy  wraps,  we  commenced 
our  picket  guard,  never  omitting  our  religious  ser- 
vices. 

The  melting  snow  made  the  ground  uncomfort- 
able, so  we  procured  some  boards,  and  what  with 
our  buffaloes  and  comforts  we  managed  nicely.  The 
many,  had  by  this  time  dwindled  to  the  few,  the  true 
and  the  tried,  those  who  had  put  on  the  whole  armor. 
A  strange  sight  we  must  have  presented  in  our 
gypsy  camp,  minus  the  tents,  singing,  praying  and 
eating,  for  we  did  not  forget  each  day  to  partake  of 
our  picnic  dinner,  jointly  contributed.  Our  hearts 
were  warm  and  glad.  For  were  we  not  instruments 
in  the  Father's  hands  for  the  pulling  down  of  the 
strongholds  of  crime  and  sin  ? 

I  must  tell  of  one  bitter  morning  when  the  snow 
had  fallen  so  deep,  and  it  was  altogether  so  unpro- 
pitious  that  only  two  of  us  went  out.  We  found  no 
blazing  fire,  but  dead,  black  logs,  all  covered  over 
with  snow.  I  went  through  the  snow  and  asked  for  a 
broom,  which  was  kindly  lent  me.  We  then  swept 
off  the  snow  as  well  as  we  could,  and  with  some 
kindlings  we  had  brought  with  us,  we  proceeded  to 
kindle  a  fire.  Slow  work,  but  accomplished  at  last. 
We  drew  our  carriage  near  the  fire,  then  unfastened 
our  horse  and  found  him  as  sheltered  a  place  as 
possible.  But  the  poor  creature  was  a  pet  and  a 
hot-house  plant,  and  protested  vigorously  against 
crusading  in  such  dreadful  weather.  We  encouraged 
him  with  kind  words,  and  did  our  own  duty  and 
came  home  at  night  with  health  unimpaired,  which 
seemed  to  us  a  most  special  providence.  Several 
similar  demonstrations  of  determination  convinced 
the  besieged  that  we  were  inexorable  as  fate,  and  in 
two  week's  time  we  had  the  pleasure  of  bringing  his 
liquors  to  our  church,  where  with  singing,  prayer 
and  much  thanksgiving  we  poured  it  into  the  street, 
fondly  but  foolishly  hoping  that  the  last  stream  of 
poison  that  had  so  long  desolated  our  fair  heritage  was 
forever  dried  up.  For  a  short  time  our  village  seemed 


222  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

an  Eden.  But  soon  the  same  old  serpent  lifted  his 
head  again,  and  our  forces  were  no  longer  in  the 
field  to  dispute  his  right.  Well  may  we  cry,  "How 
long,  oh  Lord,  how  long  ?" 

LONDON. 

Among  the  earliest  to  fall  into  line  was  Lon- 
don, the  county  seat  of  Madison  county,  a  town 
of  some  three  thousand  inhabitants,  and  sur- 
rounded by  a  wealthy  farming  community.  At 
the  breaking  out  of  the  war  there  were  six 
churches  and  twenty  five  saloons.  A  peculiar 
feature  of  the  county  is  the  monthly  stock  sales, 
which  brings,  on  such  occasions,  a  large  con- 
course of  people  not  only  from  the  county,  but 
from  the  surrounding  counties,  and  from  other 
States.  This  fact  will  largely  account  for  the 
large  number  of  saloons  as  compared  with 
churches  and  population. 

The  leading  citizens  were  more  than  usually 
intelligent  and  energetic.  And  so,  as  might  be 
expected,  the  work  was  entered  upon  by  men 
and  women  with  a  determination  that  meant 
victory. 

In  the  list  of  ladies  I  note  Mrs.  B.  T.  Custer, 
Mrs.  B.  Custer,  Mrs.  Toland,  Mrs.  Dr.  Sharp, 
Mrs.  Lincoln,  Mrs.  Col.  Ross,  Mrs.  Dr.  Jones.  Of 
the  ministers,  Rev.  C.  W.  Finley,  a  saintly  man 
of  the  Presbyterian  church,  who  has  since  received 
his  discharge  and  gone  home  to  the  kingdom  of 
the  blessed  ;  Rev.  T.  H.  Munroe,  of  the  Metho- 
dist, who  has  also  passed  over,  and  Rev.  Glover,  of 
the  Universalist  church.  The  Catholic  church, 
with  Rev.  Father  Con  way  as  their  leader,  also  did 


-' 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  223 

grand  work.  It  was  a  noteworthy  fact  that  the 
first  surrender  was  made  by  Howard,  a  member  of 
that  church.  The  women  were  also  backed  by 
all  the  prominent  business  men  of  the  place. 
But  the  struggle  was  a  hard  one,  for  the  liquor 
fraternity  manifested  quite  as  decided  a  deter- 
mination to  maintain  their  ground.  But  through 
the  signing  of  the  pledge,  for  nearly  the  entire 
community  signed,  their  business  was  badly 
crippled.  The  men  rolled  up  a  big  guarantee 
fund  for  emergency,  and  during  the  hour  of 
morning  meeting,  business  was  suspended.  Every- 
thing was  done  to  aid  the  Crusaders  and  contrib- 
ute, as  far  as  possible,  to  their  comfort.  In  a 
report  before  me,  dated  February  3rd,  the  writer 
says,  "The  surface  of  the  ground,  this  morning, 
was  covered  with  a  slippery  sheet  of  ice,  making 
it  difficult  and  even  perilous  to  navigate,  but 
some  one  had  thoughtfully  sprinkled  salt  before 
the  various  saloons,  so  that  the  ladies  might  be 
at  no  inconvenience  during  the  devotional  exer- 
cise 

The  weather  much  of  the  time  was  extremely 
cold  and  inclement  that  winter,  and,  as  it  was 
generally  the  order  for  the  saloon-keepers  to 
lock  their  doors  upon  the  women,  the  brethren 
put  their  sympathy  into  tangible  shape  by  con- 
structing a  tabernacle  and  mounting  it  on  wheels, 
putting  in  a  stove  and  making  it  quite  comfort- 
able. 

When  the  ladies  wished  to  visit  or  devote  any 
time  to  a  special  place,  horses  were  hitched  to 


224  MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

this  unique  meeting-house  and  it  was  drawn  in 
front  of  Mr.  Saloon-keeper's  place  of  operations, 
and  here  the  ladies  would  watch  and  pray  and 
sing  as  long  as  they  would  judge   expedient. 
Then  the  horses  would  be  again  hitched  on  and 
they  would  move  forward  to  the  next  point  of 
attack.     On  one  occasion,  while  the  ladies  were 
praying  in  front  of  the  door  of  one  of  the  gallant 
fraternity,  he  attempted  to  set  a  ferocious  dog  on 
them.     But   the   dog,  more   human    than    the 
human,    or  less  animal  than  his  master,  refused 
to  obey.     If  he  could  have  had  the  power  of 
speech,  he  would  probably  have  said,  "  Is  thy 
servant  a  dog,  that  he  should  do  this  thing?" 
At  all  events,  he  manifested  a  wonderful  inter- 
est in  the  ladies'  performance  and  stood  by  good- 
naturedly  wagging  his  tail  while  they  sang  and 
prayed.     As  I  am  a  warm  friend  to  dogs,  I  take 
great  pleasure  in  recording  that  as  between  the 
ladies  and  the  saloons  their  sympathies  were  al- 
ways unmistakably  manifested  on  the  side  of  the 
ladies.     I  am  more  than  half  inclined  to  believe 
they  are  more  capable  of  judging  between  right 
and  wrong,  what  is  respectable  and  what  is  not, 
than   we  give  them   credit  for.     The  ladies  in 
their  visitations   soon  discovered  that  the  baker 
they  were  patronizing,   under   the  guise   of  a 
grocer,  also   sold  liquors.     So  they  declined  to 
patronize  him  any  longer,  and  arranged  that  those 
who  did  not  go  out  onto  the  street  should  bake 
the  bread  for  those  who  did.   But  the  work  soon 
became  so  absorbing  as  to  call  out  all  their  forces, 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  225 

so  that  they  had  to  give  up  their  baking  and 
sent  their  daily  orders  over  to  Springfield  to  our 
Brother  Berry,  for  temperance  bread.  Of  course 
victory  perched  on  their  banners,  as  they  richly 
deserved. 

ATHENS. 

My  old  home  began  the  Crusade  visiting  the 
same  day  that  we  did,  February  loth.  Many 
of  the  scenes  and  incidents  were  most  thrilling. 
The  work  was  prosecuted  with  great  energy  and 
vigilance,  but  with  a  spirit  of  Christian  charity 
that  led  those  refined,  delicate  women  into  the 
lowest  and  vilest  places,  and  by  their  appeals, 
songs,  prayers  and  tears,  changing  them  into 
sanctuaries,  where  the  proprietors  and  inmates 
joined  in  the  songs  of  praise  for  their  deliverance 
from  a  life  of  sin.  Among  this  noble  band  I 
recall  Mrs,  M.  C.  DeSteiguer,  Mrs.  Angela 
Brown,  Mrs.  Alice  Brown,  Mrs.  A.  C.  Brown, 
and  many  others  of  my  co-workers  and  friends  in 
that  other  war.  One  of  these,  of  my  little  ' '  Needle 
and  Thread  Band  "  of  those  days,  I  heard  of  not 
long  since  way  down  in  Alabama,  charming  the 
ears  and  captivating  the  hearts  of  those  Southern- 
ers for  her  cause,  Mrs.  Angela  C.  Davis. 

Lancaster  also  began  work  on  February  loth. 
It  was  a  hard  field,  but  the  hosts  were  led  and 
cheered  on  by  such  grand  women  as  Mrs.  General 
I-' wing  and  Mrs.  Reece,  sister  of  General  and 
Hon.  John  Sherman,  and  much  effective  work 
was  accomplished. 


(15) 


CHAPTER  XII. 


Enlisting  the  Children — Columbus  Convention 


CASTING  about  for  ways  and  means 
to  advance  my  work  and  to  reach  and 
enlist  all  classes,  my  thought  was  early 
drawn  to  the  children.  I  felt  the  great  need  of 
such  influences  being  brought  to  bear  directly 
upon  their  minds,  to  counteract  and  fortify  them 
against  the  saloon,  that  was  an  ever-present  snare 
and  source  of  temptation.  And  I  visited  the 
Sunday-Schools,  as  my  time  would  permit,  for 
this  purpose.  Then,  as  others  entered  the  work, 
we  appointed  a  committee  of  ladies  to  take 
charge  of  this  work,  visit  the  several  Sabbath- 
Schools  and  enlist  teachers  and  children  as  far  as 
possible.  We  have  always  found  that  it  is  not 
hard  to  enlist  the  children  in  a  good  cause,  if  we 
care  to  make  the  effort.  Our  children  had  be- 
come greatly  excited  over  our  work,  especially 
after  our  Crusade  began.  We  accordingly  ar- 
ranged for  a  children's  meeting  on  Sabbath  after- 
noon, February  22nd,  at  3  o'clock,  in  Black's 
Opera  House.  The  reporter  says  of  that  meet- 
ing: 

What  would  have  been  the  result    had   Sunday 
afternoon  been  at  all  pleasant,  is  difficult  of  imagina- 

?26 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 


227 


tion.  The  Boston  Jubilee  building  would  hardly 
have  entertained  all  the  boys  and  girls  in  the  city 
who  would  have  turned  out  for  that  mass-meeting  at 
the  Opera  House  at  3  p.  m.  As  it  was,  the  house 
was  packed  to  the  very  limit.  Away  back  in  the 
gallery  a  crowd  of  little  fellows  were  hanging  on  by 
their  eyelids  to  the  windows,  and  every  aisle  had  its 
ranks  of  persons  standing,  and  still  many  went  away 
disappointed  of  even  a  glimpse.  There  was  that  in 
the  eye  and  manner  of  even  the  young  people  which 
showed  that  they  knew  why  they  were  there;  and 
meant  all  they  expressed  in  their  manner.  And  the 
speaking  and  singing  were  strictly  in  accordance 
with  the  attendance.  Altogether  it  was  a  grand 
affair,  and  such  a  meeting  as  gives  support  and  sta- 
bility to  any  good  cause  and  those  engaged  in  it. 

This  was  the  first  children's  meeting  of  the 
Crusade,  and  at  it  I  remember  that  great  mass 
of  boys  and  girls  at  my  call  sprang  to  their  feet 
to  pledge  themselves  for  temperance.  One  bright 
little  girl  came  to  me,  and  in  a  whisper  asked  if 
she  could  sign  the  pledge  and  eat  mince  pies. 
"Why,  yes,my  dear, "  I  answered,  "if  your  mamma 
will  not  put  any  brandy  in  her  pies.  She  could 
then  sign  the  pledge  and  eat  mince  pies  too. "  "I 
have  signed  the  pledge  "  she  replied.  I  told  her 
to  ask  her  mamma  not  to  put  brandy  in  any  more, 
he  could  eat  mince  pie  without  breaking  hei 
pledge.  The  mother  of  that  little  girl  was  a 
Christian  lady,  but  had  not  dreamed  of  the 
stumbling-block  she  was  putting  in  the  way  of  her 
child.  The  child,  though  so  young,  saw  the  in- 
consistency. 

Some  of  our  Crusaders  found  that  they  had  a 
little  crusading  to  do  at  home  before  they  could 
with  much  success  appeal  to  the  saloon-keeper. 


228  MEMORIES  OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

They  would  be  met  with  the  very  pertinent  ques- 
tion, "  Have  you  crusaded  your  own  cellars  and 
closets  before  coming  to  me?  What  about  your 
home-made  wine,  your  wines  and  brandies  for 
your  pies,  cakes  and  puddings?" 

They  would  quietly  withdraw  and  have  a  lit- 
tle liquor  pouring  of  their  own,  not  down  in  the 
bills.  Not,  however,  making  as  clear  a  sweep  of  it 
as  my  friend  Mrs.  Parker  and  her  husband  of 
Dundee,  Scotland,  after  hearing  Gough  upon 
his  first  visit  to  that  country.  They  went  home, 
gathered  up  all  their  bottles  of  wine,  poured  out 
the  wine,  broke  the  bottles  and  sent  the  goblets 
after,  not  supposing  the  goblets  could  possibly 
come  into  use  if  they  had  no  liquor. 

I  found  there  were  a  good  many  women  who 
did  not  quite  take  in  the  full  meaning  of  the  injunc- 
tion, " Touch  not,  taste  not,  handle  not."  One 
poor  woman  who  was  having  a  sad  time  with  her 
husband  because  he  was  being  ruined  by  drink, 
appealed  to  me  to  help  her  prosecute  the  liquor- 
seller.  I  began  investigating,  lawyer-fashion,  to 
see  what  there  was  in  the  case,  with  the  leading 
question, '  'Do  you  know  that  man  sells  whisky  to 
be  drank  on  the  premises  ?"  "  Oh  yes, ' '  she  said, 

' '  I  saw  him  selling  to  Mr.  M when  I  had 

gone  in  to  buy  some  brandy  for  mince  pies." 
"  Why, "  said  I,  "my  dear,  is  it  possible  you  use 
brandy  in  your  pies?"  "  Yes'm,"  she  answered. 
"  Don't  you  ever  do  it  again.  Will  you  promise 
me?"  "Yes'm."  Here,  this  woman  had  been 
cultivating  her  husband's  appetite  with  her  own 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

hands,  then  turning  and  crying  out  to  me  to  help 
her  save  him  from  the  consequences.  Besides, 
she  had  given  away  her  power  against  the  liquor- 
seller  by  patronizing  him  herself.  Some  years 
after  the  Crusade,  being  called  to  one  place 
where  the  women  had  done  a  grand  work  in  the 
campaign,  I  incidentally  heard  of  one  of  the  good 
sisters  saying  a  few  days  before,  "  If  it  were  not 
for  the  looks  of  the  thing,  I  would  go  to  the 
saloon  across  the  street  and  get  some  brandy  for 
my  mince  pies."  Not  even  yet  had  she  learned 
to  "shun  the  very  appearance  of  evil. " 

And  this  reminds  me  of  a  good  minister  in 
Michigan  whom  I  heard  vehemently  denouncing 
the  liquor  and  the  liquor-seller  and  the  whole 
business.  "Why,"  said  he,  "  I  would  not  be 
seen  going  into  one  of  those  places.  If  I  had 
occasion  to  go  I  would  send  some  one  else!" 

: 


MARYSVILLE. 


The  calls  for  help  are  pouring  in.  The  day 
is  breaking  and  the  long  night  of  sorrow,  may 
we  not  hope,  is  passing  away. 

On  the  evening  of  February  2ist,  Saturday, 
upon  my  return  from  my  day's  work,  I  found  my 
friend,  Mrs.  Sharp,  of  Kingston,  awaiting  me. 
She  had  been  commissioned  by  the  ladies  of 
Marysville  to  come  and  bring  me  to  them,  to 
organize  and  lead  them  out.  I  sent  them  a  dis- 
patch to  be  in  their  Church  on  Monday  at  3 
o'clock,  and  I  would  be  with  them  ;  that  being 
the  first  train  by  which  I  could  reach  them. 


23O  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

Arriving  at  the  place,  we  went  immediately  to 
the  Church  and  found  a  good  audience  awaiting 
us.  In  an  hour  I  had  them  organized,  the  band 
formed  and  marching  on  the  streets,  while  the 
bells  pealed  out  the  news,  "The  women  are 
marching." 

Oh,  those  inspiring  bells!  The  "  Bells  of 
Shandon  on  the  river  Lee  "  never  thrilled  the 
heart  of  the  poet  as  did  those  Crusade  bells  the 
hearts  of  the  Crusaders.  Two  ladies  living  on 
the  outskirts  of  the  town  had  not  heard  of  the 
meeting  till  the  bells  told  them  the  women  were 
marching.  They  hastily  threw  on  their  wraps 
and  came,  almost  running,  to  join  their  sisters. 

In  that  band  of  eager,  devoted  women  I  noticed 
one  bowed  nearly  half  down  with  some  spinal 
affliction.  Yet  she  was  laboriously  keeping  up 
with  the  rest.  Her  face  told  of  much  physical 
suffering,  possibly  mental,  too.  Yet  she  could 
not  forego  the  happy  privilege  of  joining  her 
sisters  in  that  holy  warfare.  Dear  Jesus,  Thou 
hast  many  such  who  would  follow  Thee  even 
to  the  cross  as  they  of  old. 

As  we  made  our  several  calls,  we  found  one 
man  who  was  disposed  to  draw  the  ladies  into  a 
discussion  on  the  healthfulness  of  his  beverage 
of  the  beer  tub,  and  one  lady  caught  the  bait. 
She  assented  that  beer  was  ' '  in  sickness  very 
beneficial,"  and  added  that  she  was  herself  using 
it  for  her  health.  I  saw  the  good  lady  was  giving 
her  cause  away  to  that  saloon-keeper  and  hast- 
ened to  the  rescue.  I  told  her  it  would  be  well 


I 


MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE.  23! 

for  her  to  give  up  its  use,  as  it  was  all  a  delusion 
about  its  possessing  the  health-giving  properties 
ascribed  to  it.  She  said  her  doctor  advised  it. 
"Then,"  said  I,  "change  your  doctor."  I 
learned  afterwards  that  the  physician  was  her 
brother.  In  the  course  of  my  lecture  that  even- 
ing, I  took  occasion  to  speak  of  the  manufactur- 
ing and  handling  of  the  stuff;  stealing  a  glance 
towards  the  lady,  I  noticed  this  caused  quite  a 
grimace  of  disgust. 

Our  mass-meeting  at  night  was  a  grand  affair. 
I  was  requested  at  the  close  of  my  lecture 
to  call  for  a  guarantee  fund.  The  responses 
came  in  briskly  for  a  time,  but  at  length 
began  to  slacken  up  somewhat.  Just  then  a 
gentleman  called  out,  "I  see  I  made  a  mis- 
take. Put  me  down  for  another  hundred  dol- 
lars." Another  called  out,  "  I  am  as  rich  as  he 
is,  put  me  down  for  another  hundred. "  A  third 
said,  "  I  have  no  money,  but  I  have  a  good  horse 
and  buggy,  put  them  down  for  me."  A  fourth 
said,  "put  me  down  for  a  horse  and  buggy. " 
And  thus  in  a  few  minutes  a  fund  of  several 
thousand  dollars  was  pledged  to  the  work. 

I  tell  you  those  guarantee  funds  were  potent 
persuasives.  The  saloon  men  understood  and 
felt  the  force  of  money,  sometimes,  when  they 
were  not  moved  by  prayer.  They  knew  that 
meant  enforcement  of  law,  and  they  knew  they 
broke  the  law  every  day.  I  had  told  the  ladies 
I  would  give  them  just  nine  days  in  which  to 
close  out  the  half-dozen  saloons  in  their  town. 


232  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

But  that  guarantee  fund,  added  to  the  women's 
prayers,  pleadings  and  songs,  finished  up  the 
work  in  six. 

The  last  saloon  was  closed,  the  bells  were 
ringing !  Oh,  how  they  rang,  how  they  rever- 
berated out  over  the  plains  for  miles  and  miles 
away.  They  kept  on  the  glad  peal  after  peal. 
The  country  people  dropped  their  work,  caught 
up  their  horses,  their  carriages,  their  wagons, 
everything  available ;  and  men  and  women  and 
children  hastened  away  to  the  town.  And  still 
the  bells  pealed  on.  The  town  filled  with  peo- 
ple, the  women  were  marching  and  the  people 
fell  into  line,  and  truly  there  was  ''great  joy  in 
that  city."  One  of  the  saloon-keepers  having 
rolled  out  his  liquors,  and  insisted  that  the  Cru- 
saders should  themselves  have  the  happiness  of 
knocking  in  the  heads  with  their  own  hands, 
swept  and  garnished  his  place  and  prepared  a 
sumptuous  dinner  for  the  Crusaders,  with  the  in- 
vitation for  each  to  bring  a  friend. 

When  the  repast  was  ended,  the  ladies  seeing 
where  an  after-piece  would  come  in  nicely,  two 
of  them  taking  each  a  hat,  passed  among  the 
guests,  received  a  very  nice  donation,  which  they 
tendered  their  generous  host,  quite  sufficient  to 
enable  him  to  open  up  a  more  respectable  busi- 
ness. Another  of  the  fraternity,  finding  his  oc- 
cupation gone,  and  now  that  his  better  self  had 
an  opportunity  to  assert  itself,  began  to  feel 
ashamed  of  his  business  and  himself  for  having 
been  engaged  in  it,  declared  he  was  going  to  "do 


MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE.       233 

what  the  devil  had  never  done, — leave  Marys- 
ville."  And  he  departed  with  the  intention,  as 
it  was  understood,  of  finding  a  more  respectable 
business  elsewhere. 

But  a  fearful  testing-time  came  to  many  a 
poor  toper.  After  the  excitement  subsided 
they  found  that  tyrant,  appetite,  was  still  alive, 
and  the  more  imperative  because  of  the  enforced 
abstinence.  There  was  not  a  drop  of  liquor  to 
be  had,  not  even  a  drug-store  where  they  could 
get  it  without  an  order  from  a  physician,  so  read 
the  druggist's  pledge.  A  physician  told  me  some 
of  his  experiences  which  were  at  times  very  amus- 
ing. Their  pleas  were  often  quite  ingen- 
ious, some  bordering  on  the  pathetic.  A  man 
would  hasten  in,  apparently  much  excited,  and 
report  that  his  wife  was  very  ill ;  would  the 
doctor  make  him  out  an  order  for  some  liquor 
for  medicine?  But  the  doctor  being  shrewd 
enough  to  suspect  the  true  state  of  the  case, 
would  propose  to  call  and  see  the  sick  woman 
first.  This  would  put  quite  a  different  aspect  on 
the  affair,  and  the  thirsty  husband  would  with- 
draw, remarking  that  he  did  not  think  it  would 
be  worth  while. 

What  a  bitter  cold  night  was  that  23rd  of  Feb- 
ruary !  Though  my  kind  hostess  did  her  best  to 
make  me  comfortable  as  possible,  I  did  not  get 
warm  the  whole  night.  Up,  however,  by  the 
first  dawning,  and  driven  by  the  Rev.  March 
some  eight  miles  in  that  crisp,  stinging  atmos- 
phere to  take  the  train  for  Columbus,  where  our 


234  MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE. 

great  State   Convention,  which  had  been  called 
by  Dr.  Lewis,  met  that  day. 

Though  I  write  all  the  time  with  the  fear  of 
seeming  too  minute  and  tedious  in  detailing  the 
work  and  scenes  of  the  Crusade,  I  yet  desire  to 
give  as  clear  an  idea  of  it  as  possible  without 
wearying  the  reader.  I  also  wish  to  make  this 
all  too  imperfect  history  sufficiently  accurate 
for  a  sort  of  reference  in  years  to  come.  For 
this  reason  I  give  the  reports  as  I  find  them  in 
the  papers,  wherever  I  can,  rather  than  from 
my  own  memory.  And  I  now  quote,  though 
the  report  be  rather  extended,  the  account  of 
our  first  State  Convention  in  the  interest  of  the 
Crusade. 

The  morning  meeting,  Tuesday,  February 
24th,  was  given  to  the  work  in  Columbus,  help- 
ing the  ladies  to  organize  and  encouraging  them. 
I  felt,  however,  that  rather  a  serious  mistake  was 
made  in  the  decision  to  rule  the  brethren  out 
from  any  participation.  There  were  some  of  the 
best  men,  ministers  and  laymen,  in  Columbus,  to 
be  found  in  the  State.  I  need  only  to  mention 
Revs.  Keene,  Gardiner,  Wallace,  with  many 
others  whose  hearts  were  overflowing  with  sym- 
pathy for  the  Crusaders,  and  whose  knowledge 
and  judgment  were  most  necessary  in  that  pecu- 
liarly hard  field.  I  learned,  indeed,  that  in  the 
course  of  a  month  the  ladies  saw  the  mistake 
and  invited  the  brethren  to  their  councils.  Diver- 
sity of  gifts  and  labors,  but  community  of  inter- 
ests. "  Ye  twain  shall  be  one  flesh."  Neither 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 


235 


man  nor  woman  alone,  but  unitedly  we  shall 
take  this  world  out  of  the  hands  of  Satan  and 
wicked  men  and  rule  it  in  righteousness.  From 
the  press  of  the  next  day  I  copy : 

The  Temperance  Convention  this   afternoon,  for 

more  perfect  organization  of  the  woman's  work,  was 

'the  most  harmonious  and  enthusiastic,  as  well  as  the 

best  managed  Convention  which  has  met  here   for 

many  years. 

By  2  p.  M.  most  of  the  seats  in  the  City  Hall  were 
filled,  there  being  at  least  *i, 200  persons,representing 
all  parts  where  the  movement  has  been  in  progress, 
and  where  it  is  not  yet  started.  The  Convention  was 
called  to  order  by  the  Rev.  W.  B.  Chad  wick,  of 
Columbus,  and  on  his  motion  Dr.  Lewis  was  unani- 
mously chosen  Chairman.  C.  M.  Nichols,  of  the 
Springfield  Republic,  and  Rev.  Mr.  Badgely,  of  Millers- 
burg,  were  named  as  Secretaries.  Mother  Stewart,  of 
Springfield,  was  then  escorted  upon  the  stand  and 
offered  prayer.  This  somewhat  unusual  proceeding 
was  most  happily  conceived,  and  the  audience  pre- 
served a  deep  and  reverent  silence  during  the  short 
and  touching  supplication.  The  assembly  then  sang, 
"  All  hail  the  power  of  Jesus'  name." 

Dr.  Lewis  invited  the  delegates  from  all  places 
where  the  women's  war  had  been  carried  on,  to  send 
their  most  active  workers  upon  the  platform,  and 
some  fifty  ladies  came  forward. 

On  motion,  a  committee  on  permanent  organiza- 
tion was  named,  consisting  of  five  ladies  and  three 
gentlemen.  Mrs.  Eliza  Thompson,  Chairman  ;  Mrs. 

B.  J.  Custer*,  of  London  ;  Mrs.  Mary  Brown,  Mrs. 
Conway,  ofCedarville;  Mrs.  McCabe,  of  Delaware; 
and  Messrs.  Stewart,  Gardiner  and  Keene. 

The  following  were  named  a  Committee  on  Reso- 
lutions; Mother  Stewart,  Chairman;  Miss  Lizzie 
McFadden,  of  Cadiz ;  Mrs.  M.  W.  Baines,  of  Spring- 
field; Mrs.  Lowe,  of  Xenia ;  Mrs.  Dr.  Sharp,  of 
London  ;  Mrs.  Sarah  Pollard,  Columbus,  and  Messrs. 

C.  M.  Nichols,  Fuller,  and  J.  M.  Richmond. 

*It  was  estimated  that  there  were  1,500  or  1,800  delegates 
besides  citizens. 


236  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

The  Committee  retired,  and  the  Chairman  called 
for  volunteer  speeches  from  old  workers.  The  first 
call  was  for  Mr.  VanPelt,  who  came  on  the  stand 
and  spoke  very  briefly...  One  delegation  sent  for- 
ward Mrs.  Timmons,  of  Clarksburg,  Ohio,  who 
gave  an  account  of  the  work  there.  After  singing, 
the  Xenia  delegation  sent  Mrs.  Findlay  forward  to 
represent  them,  who  gave  an  exceedingly  interesting 
account  of  the  work  there.  Dr.  Lewis  read  a  letter 
from  the  women  of  Lancaster  to  the  women  of 
Columbus,  announcing  that  a  thousand  women  in 
the  former  place  were  willing  to  work  in  the  cause. 
The  assembly  indulged  in  three  cheers.  Mr.  Tal- 
mage  read  a  letter  of  encouragement  from  Mrs. 
Reese,  sister  of  General  Sherman.  The  assembly 
sang  "  Glory,  glory  Hallelujah,"  and  Miss  L.  Sewell 
was  called  to  the  stand  and  spoke  at  some  length. 
Miss  Kate  Dwyer,  of  Greenfield,  was  called  to  speak 
for  that  place,  and  gave  a  most  affecting  account  of 
six  weeks  labor  there, — all  dealers  having  signed  the 
pledge  but  one,  and  she  hourly  expected  a  dispatch 
announcing  his  surrender. 

Miss  Sarah  Butler  being  called  to  represent  Frank- 
lin, gave  a  relation  so  plaintive  and  touching  that 
half  the  audience  were  moved  to  tears.  She  gave 
an  account  of  an  instance  where  a  saloon-keeper  had 
employed  some  men  to  furnish  the  music  for  a  dance 
he  intended  to  have.  When  these  musicians  appeared 
the  ladies  were  engaged  in  singing  and  praying 
before  the  saloon.  These  men  were  so  affected  by 
the  scene  that  they  told  the  saloonist  they  did  not 
think  that  playing  and  dancing  and  singing  and  pray- 
ing were  intended  to  go  together,  and  they  went 
away  and  had  no  dance. 

The  Committee  on  Permanent  Organization  now 
reported  the  nominations: 

President— Mrs.  H.  C.  McCabe,  of  Delaware. 

Via- Presidents — Mrs.  E.  J.  Thompson,  Hillsboro; 
Mrs.  Rose  Stewart,  Cedarville;  Mrs.  M.  G.  Carpen- 
ter, Washington  C.  H. ;  Mrs.  Amanda  Clark,  New- 
ark; Miss  Krate  Dwyer,  Greenfield;  Mrs.  Rev. 
Wyant,  Mt.  Vernon ;  Mrs.  Rev.  Dr.  Hatfield,  Cin- 
cinnati ;  Mrs.  John  Walker,  Logan  ;  Mother  Stewart, 
Springfield;  Mrs.  Rev.  Runyan,  Wilmington;  Mrs. 


TORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  237 

Z.  T.  Walters,  Mariett  i ;  Mrs.  Gen.  Ewing,  Lancas- . 
ter ;  Mrs.  Granville  Moody,  Ripley ;  Miss  Kate 
Shallcross,  Gallipolis;  Miss  Virginia  Copeland, 
Zanesville;  Mrs.  E.  Shurr,  Bellefontaine ;  Mrs.  L.  C. 
Allen,  Tiffin;  Mrs.  E.G.  McVilly,  Mrs.  Judge 
Mayo,  McArthur ;  Miss  Rebecca  Rice,  Professor  in 
Antioch  College,  Yellow  Springs ;  Mrs.  Rev.  Joseph 
Clokey,  Middletown;  Miss  Henrietta  G.  Moore, 
Morrow ;  Mrs.  Rev.  Wm.  Jones,  Findlay  ;  Mrs.  David 
Spangler,  Mrs.  Brown,  Athens;  Mrs.  Hortensie 
Beeman,  New  Lexington ;  Miss  Maggie  Beatie, 
Ashland  ;  Mrs.  A.  W.  Swapel,  Mrs.  Rev.  Wm.  Heir, 
Dayton. 

Secretary — Miss  Kate  Gardner,  Columbus. 

Treasurer — Mrs.  Mary  Brown,  Columbus. 

Executive  Committee — Mrs.  Maria  Bates,  Mrs.  R. 
A.  S.  Janney,  Mrs.  A.  E.  Tremaine,  Mrs.  L.Desselum 
and  Mrs.  Joan  Galloway,  all  of  Columbus. 

Advisory  Committee — A,  A.  Stewart,  Hon.  Chan-, 
cey  Olds,  Hon.  E.  E.  White,  all  of  Columbus. 

The  Committee  on  Resolutions,  through  its  Presi- 
dent, Mother  Stewart,  made  the  following  report  of 
Platform,  which  was  adopted  section  by  section,  by 
a  rising  and  unanimous  vote. 

Resolved,  That  the  success  of  the  Ohio  women's 
movement  in  behalf  of  the  temperance  reform  has 
given  us  substantial  assurance  that  the  traffic  in  and 
use  of  intoxicating  drinks  can  and  will  be  removed 
from  the  State  and  Nation. 

Resolved,  That  in  the, prosecution  of  this  work,  we 
rely  on  Divine  assistance,  secured  through  fervent, 
persistent,  and  importunate  prayer  to  Almighty  God, 
offered  in  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  with 
hearts  filled  with  love  for  souls. 

Resolved,  That  faithful  and  persistent  prayer  must, 
as  an  inevitable  result,  be  accompanied  by  efficient 
personal  and  organized  work. 

Resolved,  That  in  addition  to"  contributions  of 
money  generously  and  freely  given,  it  is  recommended 
that  the  men  aiding  the  women's  work  to  suppress 
intemperance  in  our  communities,  and  the  women 
who  carry  on  the  work,  avoid  all  envy,  hatred, 
malice,  and  all  uncharitableness,  all  bitterness  of 
speech,  and  denunciation  of  the  men  engaged  in  the 


238  MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

liquor   traffic,    to   cultivate   their  acquaintance   and 
kindly  feeling,  and  by  all  honorable  and  practicable 
means  to  assist  them  in  changing  from  a  business 
injurious  to   society,  to   some    other    remunerative 
to  themselves  and  beneficial  to  community. 
MRS.  E.  D.  STEWART, 
Miss  SARAH  POLLARD, 
Miss  LIZZIE  MCFADDEN, 
MRS.  H.  J.  SHARP, 
MRS.  M.  W.  BAINES, 
C.  M.  NICHOLS, 

H.  J.   FULLERTON, 

J.  M.  RICHMOND, 

Committee. 

After  considerable  miscellaneous  business  and  an 
able  speech  from  Mother  Stewart,  the  meeting 
adjourned  till  7:30  p.  M. 

The  evening  meeting  was  quite  as  enjoyable  as 
that  of  the  afternoon,  and  still  more  encouraging. 
Some  1,500  people  were  present,  and  all  were  inter- 
ested. Senator  Goodhue  was  called  to  the  chair  and 
prayer  was  offered  by  Rev.  George  Carpenter,  of 
Washington  C.  H.  Volunteer  speeches  were  called 
for,  and  the  audience  called  out  several  speakers, 
there  being  frequent  singing  between  the  speeches. 
After  short  addresses  by  the  Chairman  and  Dr. 
Lewis,  VanPelt  was  called  and  spoke  briefly. 

There  was  a  persistent  call  for  Mrs.  M.  McC. 
Brown,  but  she  was  worn  out  with  the  work  and 
could  not  speak.  Miss  Moore,  of  Morrow,  gave  an 
interesting  account  of  the  work  there,  with  their 
peculiar  difficulties. 

Mrs.  Eliza  J.  Thompson,  of  Hillsboro,  daughter  of 
Ex-Governor  Trimble,  spoke,  like  a  brave  lady,  of 
the  conflict  there,  and  stated  that  what  had  been 
done  had  just  taught  them  how  to  work.  Loud  calls 
brought  Mother  Stewart  to  the  front,  who  spoke  with 
her  usual  power.  She  told  of  many  ladies  who  had 
entered  upon  the  work  in  feeble  health,  and  were 
much  improved,  and  she  thought  this  work  would 
save  the  women  as  well  as  the  men  of  the  country. 

( What  I  said  was  prompted  by  the  call  for 
"strong  lungs,"  I  responded  that  I  thanked 


MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE.  239 

the  Lord  that  I  had  strong  lungs,  and  spoke  of 
the  benefit  that  many  women  who  thought  they 
were  confirmed  invalids,  had  already  received 
from  the  out-door  exercise,  as  well  as  the  stimu- 
lus received  from  living  for  a  purpose,  devoting 
heart  and  talent  for  the  welfare  of  mankind. 
When  I  had  taken  my  seat,  Dr.  Lewis  sprang 
up  and  came  to  me  with  the  enthusiasm  of  a 
boy,  saying  some  kind  words  about  the  practical 
common  sense,  and  that  my  assertion  in  regard 
to  the  improvement  of  the  health  of  the  women 
was  invaluable  to  our  cause.  It  was  just  in  the 
line  of  his  teaching  as  a  health  reformer ;  and 
many  had  been  prophesying  that  the  women 
would  kill  themselves  by  the  fatigue  and 
exposure.) 

Miss  Stone,  of  Marietta,  spoke  briefly  of  the  work 
in  general,  but  could  not  report  much  progress  in 
Marietta.  Rev.  Mr.  Hamma,  of  Springfield,  was  led 
forward  and  introduced  by  Mother  Stewart,  to  the 
intense  delight  of  the  audience,  and  gave  an  eloquent 
resume  of  the  work  there.  Rev.  W.  M.  Grimes,  of 
Cadiz,  spoke  briefly,  and  Dr.  Lewis  set  forth  a  plan 
of  work  for  the  campaign  ;  and  by  a  rising  vote  the 
meeting  returned  the  thanks  of  Ohio  to  Dr.  Lewis, 
who  was  now  returning  to  Massachusetts,  and  this 
enthusiastic  meeting  closed,  everybody  feeling  that 
they  had  been  greatly  encouraged  by  this  glad  inter- 
change of  greetings  and  experiences  to  return  home 
and  prosecute  the  work  with  renewed  vigor. 

To  my  friends,  Beadle,  of  the  Cincinnati  Com- 
mercial, and  Brown,  of  the  Gazette,  I  am  chiefly 
indebted  for  the  foregoing  generous  but  strictly 
truthful  report  of  that  great  meeting.  And 
those  two  papers,  as  nearly  every  other  in  the 


240  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

country,  daily  devoted  column  after  column  to 
the  wonderful  work.  But  alas  !  and  alas !  these 
two,  now  combined  with  the  two  editors  in  one 
sanctum,  have  no  generous  word  of  encourage- 
ment for  our  cause. 

I  received  many  more  calls  at  this  meeting  to 
"come  and  help"  than  I  could  respond  to. 
Two  ladies  had  come  to  Springfield  to  take  me 
to  their  town,  Coshocton,  to  help  them  organize 
and  lead  them  out ;  but  I  had  left  for  Marysville. 
As  soon  as  I  could  see — as  I  thought — the  time 
to  go  to  them,  I  telegraphed,  asking  if  they  still 
wanted  me.  They  answered,  "No,  we  are 
at  work;  do  not  need  outside  help."  Thus, 
while  the  Jadies  in  many  places  shrank  at  first, 
as  feeling  their  own  weakness  and  need  of  aid, 
yet  by  some  strange,  impelling  influence  they 
were  constrained  to  go  forward,  so  many  of  them, 
too,  astonished  beyond  measure  at  themselves. 

I  wish  the  reader  to  pause  for  a  moment  and 
reflect  that  the  wonderful  meeting  above  re- 
ported, the  spirit  and  life  of  which  was  con- 
tributed by  the  women,  was  almost  fourteen 
years  ago  (I  write  this  November  29,  1887), 
and  that  the  women  had  not  had  the  training 
and  experience  of  the  women  of  to-day.  Indeed, 
many  of  them,  till  their  lips  were  unsealed  in  the 
saloon  or  on  the  street,  had  never  publicly 
spoken  a  word  for  their  Savior  or  heard  their 
own  voices  in  prayer.  But  oh  !  what  showers 
of  blessings  descended  upon  them  !  What  joy 
and  peace  came  into  their  hearts ! 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 


241 


A   SPRINKLE  OF    POLITICS. 

The  Prohibition  State  Convention  met  the 
same  week  of  our  Convention,  February  26th, 
at  Mt.  Vernon. 

I  have  already  intimated  that  the  politicians 
were  watching  our  prayer  movement  with  no 
little  solicitude  as  to  "  How  will  this  affect  our 
party?"  They  were  also  anxiously,  though  very 
cautiously,  putting  forth  their  hands  to  steady 
the  ark.  Now  that  the  Prohibitionists  had 
come  together  in  their  annual  convention  so 
soon  following  ours  at  Columbus,  they  thought 
they  saw  some  sinister  meaning  in  it,  and  began 
loudly  to  charge  the  Prohibitionists  with  want- 
ing to  "  lug  in  politics,"  "  trying  to  gobble  the 
crusade!"  and  expressed  a  good  deal  of  holy 
indignation.  Considering  these  facts,  the  fol- 
lowing extracts,  taken  from  a  report  of  this 
Convention  as  found  in  the  Cincinnati  Gazette  of 
the  27th,  may  not  be  uninteresting : 

The  history  of  the  Prohibition  party  of  Ohio  is 
getting  to  be  an  alarming  study  for  politicians.  A 
years  ago  Jay  Odell,  a  wealthy  and  benevolent 
citizen  of  Cleveland,  who  had  spent  large  sums  of 
money  in  relieving  the  wants  of  widows  and  orphans, 
the  victims  of  intemperance,  became  convinced  that 
he  could  do  better  service  for  humanity  by  directing 
his  means  to  the  suppression  of  the  traffic  which 
caused  all  this  misery.  He  therefore  stopped  short 
in  his  charitable  and  educational  bequests  and  threw 
his  whole  energies  into  the  prohibition  movement. 
The  nucleus  of  a  party  was  soon  formed ;  money 
was  raised  to  publish  a  paper,  distribute  tracts,  and 
keep  lecturers  in  the  field.  In  the  first  election  in 
which  the  party  appeared,  it  cast  two  thousand  votes; 


242  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

at  the  next,  over  four  thousand,  and  last  fall — as 
Republican  politicians  knew  to  their  sorrow — up- 
wards of  ten  thousand. 

The  record  of  such  a  growth  was  sufficient  to 
encourage  the  leaders  in  the  movement,  and  they 
were  going  on  to  another  vigorous  campaign,  when 
help  came  from  an  unexpected  quarter, — the  woman's 
temperance  movement  suddenly  broke  out.  What 
the  men  had  been  vainly  trying  for  years  to  accom- 
plish by  legal  coercion  the  women  began  to  do  by 
moral  suasion.  But  widely  different  as  are  the 
principles  of  the  two  methods,  the  prohibitionists 
could  not  fail  to  see  that  the  women  were  preparing 
the  way  for  their  work  better  than  they  could  ever 
hope  to  do  it  themselves.  Therefore  many  of  them 
came  forward  and  wanted  to  father  the  movement 
and  carry  it  in  their  arms.  True  friends  of  the  cause 
saw  danger  in  this,  and  politicians  hailed  it  as  an 
opportunity.  An  attempt  was  made — such  as  I 
described  at  Columbus — Wednesday,  to  set  the  two 
factions  by  the  ears.  And  the  effort  was  well-nigh 
successful.  Men  of  one  idea  have  always  been 
intolerant  of  anything  that  crosses  the  path  of  their 
purposes,  and  so  the  friends  of  prohibition  in  the 
Columbus  meeting  Wednesday  morning,  developed 
a  spirit  of  obstinacy  that  threatened  a  conflict 
straightway.  (  Viewed  from  the  other  side  a  differ- 
ent conclusion  was  reached. —  M.  S.) 

At  the  convention,  yesterday,  however,  the  advo- 
cates of  the  law  insisted  that  they  were  in  full 
sympathy  with  the  gospel  method  of  operation,  and 
there  the  difficulty  will  likely  stop. 

THE    PROHIBITION    CREED. 

In  conversation  with  an  intelligent  member  of  the 
convention,  yesterday,  I  gathered  some  ideas  which 
may  serve  to  illustrate  their  faith  and  purposes. 

A  prohibition  law  now  would  be  of  no  use.  The 
attempts  to  carry  out  even  the  existing  temperance 
laws  prove  failures,  because  the  burden  of  enforcing 
them  falls  on  a  very  few  men  in  every  community, 
who  cannot  stand  against  the  combined  strength  of 
the  liquor  interest.  First  of  all,  temperance  officers 
must  be  put  in  place  of  the  corrupt  party  men,  who 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  243 

now  have  the  execution  of  the  laws  in  their  hands. 
The  second  condition  of  success  is  an  unquestionable 
law  on  the  statute  books,  prohibiting  the  manufac- 
ture, importation  or  sale  of  intoxicating  drinks  in 
the  commonwealth.  But,  neither  prohibition  officers 
can  be  elected,  nor  a  stringent  law  enacted,  until  the 
prohibitionists  as  a  political  party  are  in  power  in 
the  State.  Therefore,  the  chief  aim  for  the  present 
is  to  accumulate  votes.  The  gentleman  acknowl- 
edged there  could  be  no  lasting  success  of  the  pro- 
hibition movement  until  all  the  political  parties  of 
the  country  resolve  themselves  into  temperance  and 
anti  temperance  elements,  and  formed  two  great 
national  parties,  divided  on  the  issue  of  prohibition. 

Furthermore,  the  prohibition  party  must  exist 
permanently,  and  always  be  in  the  majority ;  for  the 
moment  the  anti-temperance  men  get  in  power  pro- 
hibitory laws  will  be  ineffective,  because  not  enforced. 
In  Maine  and  Massachusetts, — where  it  is  claimed 
prohibition  has  been  a  failure — the  law  was  executed 
by  its  enemies.  Put  it  in  the  hands  of  its  friends 
and  that  will  be  the  last  of  whisky.  Nothing  can  be 
expected  from  either  of  the  present  political  parties, 
because  temperance  can  never  be  made  more  than  a 
side  issue  in  election  contests.  Prohibitionists  insist 
on  a  square  fight  on  the  sole  question  of  temperance, 
and  all  overtures  or  attempts  at  compromise  from 
either  Democrats  or  "Republicans  will  be  rejected 
with  scorn.  f 

On  woman  suffrage  prohibitionists  were  divided  in 
their  own  ranks,  and  very  likely  would  not  have 
carried  it  any  longer  had  not  the  late  temperance 
crusade  burdened  them  with  so  heavy  a  debt  to  the 
women.  There  will  be  no  retreating  from  that  issue 
now,  and  prohibition  and  woman  suffrage  in  Ohio, 
;ii  least,  must  sink  or  swim  together. 

He  also  gives  the  following  resolutions  of 
indorsement  as  adopted  by  the  Convention  : 

WHFRKAS,  The  manufacture,  sale  and  consump- 
tion of  intoxicating  liquors  is  in  open  violation  of 
the  law  of  God,  nnd  antagonistic  to  the  moral,  social 
and  political  well-being  of  society  ;  and 

WHEREAS,  The   Christian    women   of    Ohio   are 


244  MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

seeking  to  eradicate  this  evil,  by  the  instrumentality 
of  prayer  to  Almighty  God,  and  Christian,  womanly 
entreaty  with  liquor-sellers  against  their  destructive 
traffic;  therefore 

Resolved,  That  we,  as  delegates  to  the  State  Con- 
vention of  the  Prohibition  party  of  Ohio,  in  conven- 
tion assembled,  do  hereby  congratulate  the  noble, 
self-sacrificing  women  of  Ohio  in  their  success,  and 
assure  them  of  our  sympathy  and  co-operation  with 
them  and  all  other  agencies  of  the  temperance 
reform. 

Resolved,  That  we  will  not  only  unite  our  prayers 
with  our  sisters,  to  Almighty  God,  but  we  will  call 
upon  our  brethren  in  Ohio  to  assist  in  making 
permanent  the  benefits  of  this  moral  uprising  by  the 
execution  of  law  against  all  engaged  in  the  liquor 
traffic,  and  to  seek  through  the  ballot-box  the  speedy 
enactment  of  such  prohibitory  laws  as  shall  extinguish 
the  evil  of  intemperance  from  our  State. 

It  was  no  doubt  disappointing  to  the  temper- 
ance party,  considering  that  they  were  the  first 
political  organization  to  indorse  the  prayer 
movement,  that  the  Crusaders  not  only  declined 
to  recognize  their  overtures  of  co-operation,  but 
turned  the  cold  shoulder.  What  would  have 
been  the  consequence  to-day  if  the  women  had 
then  taken  their  stand  by  their  natural  allies,  is 
a  question  of  solemn  interest. 

The  women  have  grown  marvelously  since  ; 
but  so  has  the  liquor  power.  Those  who  were 
so  industriously  manipulating  the  Crusade  to 
"save  the  party,"  have  great  occasion  to  con- 
gratulate themselves.  The  party  was  saved, 
and  so  was  the  liquor  traffic,  and  it  is  stronger 
to-day  than  ever  before. 

I  am  glad  to  record  here,  besides  the  Hon. 
Jay  Odell,  mentioned  by  the  reporter  as  among 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  245 

the  first  Prohibition  standard  bearers  of  our  State, 
and  the  strong  friends  and  supporters  of  our 
organization  from  the  first  to  the  present  hour, 
the  names  of  Hon.  Gideon  T.  Stewart,  Rev.  A. 
M.  Thompson,  D.  D.,  Professor  of  Otterbein 
University,  Rev.  E.  K.  Brown,  D.  D.,  President  of 
Wesleyan  Female  College,  and  husband  of  our 
brilliant  Mattie  McClellan  Brown,  Hon.  Ferdi- 
nand Schumacher, Hon.  J.  H.  Doan,  Bro.  Silver; 
our  D.S.  Morrow, — who  will  not  belong  to  a 
church  that  will  not  give  the  same  privileges  to 
his  wife  that  it  would  to  him, — our  venerable 
Father  Ware,Thomas  Evans,  Jr.,  A.  A.  Stewart, 
and  Dr.  Barnes — a  good  array  of  strong  and 
true  men,  of  which  any  party  or  cause  mayjustly 
feel  proud.  Brothers  Evans  and  Stewart  have 
recently  passed  away.  How  the  veterans  are 
falling ! 


CHAPTER    XIII. 


Westville,     Middletown,      Belle fontaine,    Kenton, 
Sidney,  Marion,  Ashland. 

HILE  we  were  absent  at  Columbus,  those 
who  remained  at  home  to  "hold  the 
fort,"  had  not  by  any  means  been  idle. 
The  band  work  went  on,  and  on  Wednesday, 
another  "White  Wednesday,"  they  took  pos- 
session of  our  new  headquarters  in  the  Stone 
Church,  so  generously  put  at  our  service  by  Mr. 
John  Bookwalter.  And  with  appropriate  cere- 
monies, conducted  by  Dr.  Clokey,  it  was  dedi- 
cated to  our  work. 

Henceforth,  from  here,  after  the  morning  sea- 
son of  prayer,  they  formed  their  bands  and 
marched  out,  returning  at  noon  for  lunch  and  a 
short  season  of  rest,  then  re-forming  and  out  for 
the  afternoon;  often  also  making  special  visits 
in  the  evening.  I  wish  I  could  give  the  entire 
list  of  these  hundreds  of  honorable  Christian 
women  who  did  such  faithful  work  reaching  into 
the  long  months.  But  their  record  is  on  high. 

There  were  many  ladies  who  did  not  find  it 
possible,  either  from  lack  of  health  or  other 
reasons,  to  join  the  street  work.  But  they  formed 

246 


MEMORIES   OF   THE    CRUSADE.  247 

committees  on  refreshments,  divided  the  city 
by  wards,  and  the  committee  for  each  ward — 
there  being  five  wards  at  that  time — prepared  a 
nice  noon-day  lunch  at  headquarters  for  a  week  at 
a  time.  And  thus,  throughout  the  long  weeks  of 
the  campaign,  the  toilers  on  the  street — and  the 
work  was  very  wearying — were  supplied  with 
the  best  the  city  afforded,  by  their  sisters. 
Among  these  servers  of  tables  were  ladies  occu- 
pying the  highest  positions  in  the  land  ;  one,  I 
think  of,  whose  husband  sat  on  the  Supreme 
Bench  of  the  Commonwealth.  And  another 
who  has  since  occupied  the  enviable  position  of 
* '  First  Lady  of  the  Land. " 

And  this  was  the  case  in  other  places  as  well. 
I  will  here,  however,  take  occasion  to  correct  a 
statement  that  I  have  met  in  the  East,  that  I 
had  the  honor  to  be  associated  with  Mrs.  Presi- 
dent Hayes  in  the  Crusade.  While  our  beloved 
Mrs.  Hayes  was  in  fullest  sympathy  with  the 
Crusade,  as  she  always  is  with  every  good  work, 
she  was  at  that  time  occupied  with  the  duties  of 
her  position,  her  husband  being  Governor  of  the 
State.  Some  of  her  relatives  entered  actively 

into  the  work.     An  aunt  living  in  C ,  being 

in  too  delicate  health  to  go  out  on  the  street 
with  the  other  ladies,  would  take  some  bit  of  work 
in  her  hand  and  drop  into  a  saloon  near, and  chat 
kindly  with  the  keeper,  very  much,  however,  to 
the  detriment  of  his  business. 

No  on*,  however  thirsty,  who  had  a  particle 
of  self-respect  remaining,  would  brave  the  pres- 


248  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

ence  of  that  refined,   Christain  lady,  by  calling 
for  a  drink. 

Speaking  of  my  friend,  Mrs.  McK ,  "re- 
minds me  of  a  little  story,"  as  our  Lincoln  used 
to  say,  at  my  expense.  I  had,  by  exposure  in 
my  work,  contracted  a  severe  cold,  with  sore 
throat  and  hoarseness,  that  threatened  to  silence 
me  for  a  time.  A  prospect  rather  alarming,  for 
I  was  hastening  from  point  to  point  to  rally  the 

forces  and  urge  on  the  battle.      Mrs.  McK , 

seeing  my  condition,  kindly  prepared  me  a  bottle 
of  vinegar,  white  sugar  and  cayenne  pepper,  such 
as  she  had  found  beneficial  in  relieving  a  rather 
serious  cough  with  which  she  was  troubled.  I 
put  it  into  the  outside  pocket  of  my  waterproof, 
for  convenience,  that  I  might  if  possible  relieve 
my  hoarseness  by  the  time  I  reached  my  next 
appointment.  But  it  was  urged,  I  must  call  at  the 
Gazette  office  before  I  left,  to  see  "the  boys," 
one  of  whom  had  been  my  student  in  other 
years,  but  now  needing  to  sign  the  pledge, 
which  with  the  others  he  did.  The  editor  had 
taken  a  cold  that  was  giving  him  much  trouble, 
and  about  which  his  mother  felt  a  good  deal  of 
solicitude.  In  the  midst  of  my  interesting  con- 
versation with  the  young  men  and  their  signing 
of  the  pledge,  she  bethought  her  of  my  med- 
icine, and  stepping  up  to  me,  fished  it  out  of  my 
pocket,  and  holding  it  up,  insistedupon  "Will's" 
tasting  it.  She  was  sure  it  was  just  what  he 
needed.  But  oh,  my !  what  a  laugh  it  raised 
among  the  boys.  And  I — I  could  not  just  see 


MEMORIES  OF  THE   CRUSADE.  249 

where  the  laugh  came  in.  I  think,  if  I  remember, 
the  boys  called  it  "sold."  I  concluded  there- 
after to  "shun  the  appearance  of  evil  "  by  keep- 
ing my  bottle  out  of  sight. 

But  the  enemy  was  far  from  indifferent  all  this 
time.  In  the  very  beginning  of  our  work  many 
of  the  saloon-keepers  appealed  to  the  law  to  pro- 
tect them  in  their  "rights."  And  it  was  fre- 
quently found  that  the  servants  of  the  people, 
placed  in  office  to  execute  the  laws,  were  so  in 
the  power  of  these  men  that  they  were  able  to 
find  a  great  deal  more  law  to  protect  them  in 
their  nefarious  business  than  to  protect  the  women 
in  their  pious  effort  to  save  souls.  We  have  already 
recorded,  as  one  of  the  first  moves  in  our  city, 
that  over  600  women  had  appealed  to  the  council 
to  pass  the  McConnelsville  ordinance,  a  just  and 
righteous  measure ;  and  it  would  have  proved  of 
incalculable  benefit  to  the  city,  saving  tens  of 
thousands  of  dollars,  as  well  as  the  infinite  gain 
in  health,  happiness  and  morals.  This  petition 
was  signed  by  the  best  women  in  Springfield. 
But  the  council,  without  any  public  remonstrance, 
refused  to  grant  it,  giving,  as  we  have  shown 
elsewhere,  the  most  unique  reason  for  their  non- 
action  ever  rendered  by  men  laying  claim  to  a 
common  amount  of  brains. 

But  now  comes  a  petition  to  this  august  body, 
signed  by  some  250,  seven-tenths,  at  least,  of 
them  being  of  the  foreign,  German  and  Irish  pop- 
ulation, and  mostly  saloon-keepers,  demanding  of 
the  Council  that  they  instruct  the  mayor  and 


MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

police  to  enforce  the  law,  keeping  the  sidewalks 
unobstructed.  This,  of  course,  was  meant  for  the 
Crusaders.  The  petition  was  granted  by  a  vote  of 
seven  to  three.  There  had  been  no  complaint  made 
or  notice  taken  of  the  obstructions  on  sidewalks 
before,  though  often  the  obstruction  from  build- 
ing material,  dry  goods  boxes,  bars  of  iron, 
whisky  barrels,  beer  casks,  was  such  as  to  not 
only  endanger  one's  apparel,  but  their  limbs  as 
well,  especially  after  night. 

The  law  was  enforced,  and  the  Crusaders  gave 
the  prescribed  space — four  feet — standing  and 
kneeling  on  the  curbstone  or  in  the  gutter.  A 
wonderful  thing  is  the  law  and  free  government 
of  which  we  have  made  such  boast.  I  remember 
of  hearing  of  a  gang  of  slaves,  chained  together, 
being  driven  through  the  streets  of  Richmond, 
Virginia,  on  their  way  to  the  Southern  sugar 
and  cotton  plantations,  on  a  Fourth  of  July, 
singing  as  they  marched, 

"  Hail  Columbia,  happy   land." 

No  one  now  living  will  ever  witness  such  a  sight 
again  in  this  country,  for  our  boys  in  the  blue 
and  the  gray  together,  though  in  opposing  lines, 
washed  out  the  foul  stain  of  the  crime  of  slavery 
with  their  blood.  But  long  since  that,  here  in 
the  North,  Coasting  of  freedom  and  liberty, — 
have  the  best  women  of  this  or  any  land  been 
arrested,  imprisoned,  mobbed,  spit  upon, abused, 
wounded  by  infuriated  beings  in  the  shape  of 
men,  set  on  by  the  liquor-dealers,  only  because 
they  went  in  the  name  of  their  Master  to  plead 


MEMORIES  OF   THE   CRUSADE.  2$  I 

them  to  give  up  their  soul-destroying  busi- 
ness. All  this  time  the  politicians  crying  out 
against  the,  "Negro  outrages  in  the  South;" 
while  the  laws  at  home  were  inadequate  to  pro- 
tect their  own  wives  and  daughters  from  these 
worse  than  southern  slave-drivers  in  their  native 
towns.  And  this  same  power  has  the  nation  by 
the  throat  to  day. 

On  the  26th,  two  days  after  our  Convention,! 
took  the  train  to  Urbana,  was  met  by  Rev. 
Calbfus  and  driven  some  six  or  eight  miles  to 
Westville.  Met  the  ladies  in  prayer-meeting. 
Had  a  large  mass-meeting  at  night,  organized 
everybody  for  the  work ;  and  next  morning  led 
out  the  little  band  to  visit  the  three  or  four  places, 
including  the  tavern. 

How  precious  was  that  season  of  prayer  as  we 
knelt  on  the  frozen  ground  before  that  village 
tavern,  and  how  I  wanted  to  shout  aloud  the 
praises  of  Him  who  had  called  us  to  this  blessed 
work. 

I  do  not  believe  that  little  praying  band  will 
ever  forget  that  morning.  It  was  not  long  till 
they  reported  the  liquor  business  closed  out 
there.  After  seeing  the  sisters  well  started  in 
their  work,  I  was  driven  back  to  Urbana  and 
took  the  train  down  through  Springfield,  not 
stopping.  Mr.  C.  M.  Nichols  boarded  the  train  to 
accompany  me  to  Middletown.  Looking  out,  I 
saw  the  sisters  on  duty ;  some  marching  in  that 
solemn,  silent  fashion,  others  before  some  saloon. 
Reaching  Osborn,  where  I  had  organized  and 


252  MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

led  the  sisters  out,  I  stepped  onto  the  platform 
to  see  if  they  were  at  their  post.  Brother  Massie 
seeing  me,  motioned  with  a  sweep  of  his  hands 
to  the  other  side.  There  they  were  across  the 
square,  faithfully  at  work.  On,  down,  coming 
to  Franklin,  while  the  train  halted  Mr.  Butler 
came  in,  and  throwing  up  my  window,  said, 
"Look,  Mother  Stewart,  seethe  women  keep- 
ing guard  over  Munger."  I  have  no  language 
to  express  my  deep  emotion  as  I  looked  upon 
that  scene.  These  women  by  prayer  and  faith 
had  closed  all  but  this  one  gate  of  death.  This 
one  man  had  stubbornly  refused  to  yield.  He 
had  many  times  laid  himself  liable  to  prosecution 
by  his  flagrant  violation  of  law ;  and  the  men 
had  said  ' '  give  him  up  to  us  and  we  will  find  a 
shorter  way  to  close  him  out. "  But  they  begged, 
'  *  Let  alone,  peradventure  the  Lord  will  give  us 
that  man's  soul."  And  so,  in  sunshine  or  storm, 
days  and  weeks,  there  they  sat  outside  that 
dreadful  place.  Angels,  keeping  guard  over  a 
man's  soul.  Yes,  angels,  though  clad  in  the 
habiliments  of  earth,  and  I  think  their  kindred  of 
the  upper  skies  must  have  looked  down  with 
intensest  pity  and  sympathy  on  that  sight.  It 
was  not  long  after  this,  however,  till  the  men, 
unable  to  bear  it  longer,  brought  suit  against  the 
man,  and  he  was  sent  to  prison  and  his  place 
closed.  But  behold  how  soon  the  sympathy  of 
the  community  is  excited  in  behalf  of  this  class 
of  law-breakers.  It  was  not  long  till  it  was  re- 
ported that  Munger's  prison  life  was  seriously 


MEMORIES  OF  THE   CRUSADE.  253 

affecting  his  health.  A  petition  was  circulated 
and  numerously  signed  and  presented  to  the 
authorities  for  his  release,  and  the  prison  doors 
were  thrown  open  to  him.  No  such  sympathy 
or  leniency  for  any  of  his  many  victims  that  I 
ever  heard  of,  though  they  might  lie  in  jail,  week 
in  and  out,  and  their  helpless  families  become  a 
public  charge,  or  starve. 

We  were  met  and  entertained  at  MIddletown, 
by  Rev.  Joseph  Clokey  and  lady,  who  had  made 
arrangement  for  the  meeting. 

It  is  enough  to  say  that  this  earnest  young 
minister  was  the  son  of  our  Dr.  Clokey,  and 
what  a  combined  host  for  every  good  work  were 
he  and  his  intelligent  lady. 

It  seemed  that  the  whole  city  had  come  together 
for  that  mass- meeting.  The  reporter  said  it  was 
a  " grand  success." 

The  hall  accommodates  nearly  two  thousand 
people,  and  was  crowded  to  its  utmost  capacity. 
Every  inch  of  standing  room,  even  in  the  aisles,  was 
occupied,  and  hundreds  stood  for  two  hours  and  a 
half.  Upon  opening  the  services  with  music  by  the 
combined  choirs  of  the  town,  and  prayer  by  Rev. 
Jos.  Hill,  Mr.  C.  M.  Nichols,  of  the  Springfield 
Republic,  being  introduced,  delivered  a  short  but 
witty  oration,  which  met  with  great  applause,  after 
which  Mother  Stewart  told  what  she  knew  of  the 
work,  etc. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clokey  both  spoke,  Mrs.  C. 
most  effectively.  Rev.  Mr.  Graham  also  spoke. 
A  guarantee  fund  was  desired  for  carrying  on 
the  work,  and  I  was  requested  to  make  the 
appeal  for  it,  which  I  did.  During  this  exercise 
a  poor,  broken-down  specimen  of  the  liquor- 


254  MEMORIES  OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

seller's  workmanship  made  his  way  through  the 
crowd  and  gained  a  position  near  the  platform, 
and  called  out  that  he  would  give  "  five  cents  !" 
The  poor  fellow  grinned  as  if  he  thought  he  had 
done  a  real  cute  thing,  and  there  were  enough 
who  were  ready  to  raise  the  laugh.  I  felt  not  a 
little  solicitude  lest  the  rabble  should  get  away 
with  the  solemnity  of  the  meeting.  Raising  my 
hand  I  stood  in  silence  till  they  quieted  down  ; 
then  I  called  their  attention  to  the  poor,  dirty,  illy- 
clad,  intoxicated  man  standing  there,  made  in  the 
image  of  his  Maker,  but  all  marred  and  ruined 
by  the  liquor-seller  ;  an  object  of  pity  and  com- 
passion rather  than  merriment.  Though  so 
intoxicated  as  to  be  simple,  yet  he  was  able  to 
see  that  I  was  calling  attention  to  him.  A  sense 
of  shame  and  mortification  crept  over  his  face, 
and  the  audience  was  most  respectful  thereafter. 
The  Crusaders  opened  up  their  work  the  next 
day  and  accomplished  a  great  deal,  though  this 
was  one  of  the  hardest  fields.  I  very  well  re- 
member the  dear  friends  here  gave  me  $20  for 
my  services.  It  was  the  first  that  approached 
anything  like  that  sum,  and  I  was  really  almost 
frightened  over  it,  and  counseled  with  Brother 
Nichols  about  it.  I  was  afraid  I  might  come  to 

place  my  thoughts  too  much  upon  the oh, 

dear  !- might  become  "  greedy  of  filthy  lucre" 

in  my  work.  But  he  assured  me  it  was  all  right 
for  me  to  take  it.  It  has  not  been  very  often 
that  I  have  been  subjected  to  this  kind  of 
temptation.  But  it  is  not  of  this  that  I  am 
writing,  and  I  do  not  complain. 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  2$  5 

Tuesday  afternoon,  March  3d,  Rev.  Mr. 
Hamma  and  I  set  out  for  Bellefontaine,  arriving 
in  the  rain  and  near  meeting  time.  I  had  sent 
a  card  to  the  Cincinnati  papers  saying  I  had  lost 
my  memorandum  of  engagements,  and  on  that 
account  might  fail  to  fill  some  of  them  ;  and  so 
the  friends  here  were  uncertain  about  my  coming 
till  we  arrived.  But  the  word  went  out,  and 
though  the  rain  came  down,  the  largest  church 
in  the  city  soon  filled  and  overflowed,  and 
another  church  a  square  away  was  opened.  I 
stood  and  talked  for  an  hour  at  the  first,  while 
Brother  Hamma  spoke  in  the  other;  then  we 
exchanged  pulpits,  passing  each  other  on  the 
way.  Next  morning  at  9  o'clock  I  met  the 
ladies  at  the  Court-house — their  headquarters — 
for  prayer  and  business  meeting. 

Here,  on  her  wheeled  couch,  lay  a  poor,  little 
sufferer  of  long  years,  having  been  brought  up 
so  she  could  join  the  sisters  in  their  prayers  and 
songs,  and  with  gentle,  loving  words  encourage 
the  repentant  saloon-keeper  or  drinker;  and 
here  she  tarried  for  a  week,  giving  with  her  sweet 
patience  in  suffering,  and  bright,  hopeful  coun- 
tenance, inspiration  to  the  dear  Crusaders.  Very 
tenderly  did  the  blessed  Savior  carry  this  little, 
suffering  pet  lamb  in  his  bosom  through  the 
weary  years  of  pain  and  trial.  The  world  has 
long  since  heard  of,  and  many  a  saved  railroad 
man  and  his  family  are  praising  God  for  Jennie 
Smith. 

At  ten  o'clock  we  formed  our  procession  and 


256  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

moved  out  to  visit  the  saloons,  led  by  a  brass 
band  playing  the  airs  of  our  Crusade  songs. 
The  tears  would  well  up  and  overflow  as  I 
marched.  Who  could  help  being  affected  by 
such  scenes  ?  The  streets  were  muddy  and  the 
sidewalks  wet,  but  some  of  the  good  brethren 
ran  and  brought  strips  of  carpet  and  spread  for 
us  to  stand  and  kneel  on.  One  keeper  stipulated 
that  we  must  only  come  within  certain  limits  of 
his  door, — that  was  the  "dead  line."  I  went 
up  to  him,  however,  shook  hands  and  talked 
with  him,  and  found  he  was  not  near  so  terrible 
as  he  wanted  to  make  us  believe,  though  he 
reiterated  that  his  prescribed  line  was  the  ' '  dead 
line.'*  I  told  him  it  should  yet  prove  the  line 
of  everlasting  life  to  him.  I  stepped  back  and 
stood  with  my  sisters.  After  looking  at  me  for 
a  few  minutes,  he  turned  to  his  clerk  and  ordered 
him  to  ' '  bring  out  a  chair  for  that  old  lady  ;  the 
rest  must  stand," — his  way,  I  suppose,  of  show- 
ing a  bit  of  grim  humor,  or,  his  better  nature 
may  have  been  touched  by  the  sight  of  so  aged 
a  woman  out  on  such  a  peculiar  mission. 
Though  he  assured  me,  over  and  over,  that  he 
never  would  surrender,  it  was  not  many  days 
until  he  did. 

We  called  at  one  place  owned  by  a  man  that 
some  had  assured  me  was  a  hopeless  case.  We 
were  led  to  think  there  was  little  hope  there ; 
but  we  went  in,  he  making  no  objection,  and 
had  our  usual  services.  When  I  turned  to  shake 
hands  with  him,  upon  leaving,  he  said  he  would 


MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE.       257 

like  to  have  a  private  conversation  with  me.  I 
was  taken  very  much  by  surprise,  and  from  the 
impression  given  me  was  in  doubt  as  to  his 
sincerity  I  told  him  I  would  have  to  take  the 
twelve  o  clock  train ; — but  Sister  Shurr  invited 
him  to  come  to  her  house,  where  I  was  stopping, 
and  see  me  after  we  had  visited  the  other  saloons. 
Before  we  got  home  he  was  there  and  sent  for 
me.  Our  interview  was  a  most  solemn  one,  and 
to  me  a  very  instructive  one. 

The  poor  man  was  stricken  with  deep  contri- 
tion and  wept  freely  as  we  prayed.  He  said  he 
had  kept  a  saloon  for  fifteen  years,  and  part  of 
the  time  had  kept  a  very  bad  place,  but  no  one 
had  ever  before  come  to  him  to  tell  him  he  was 
doing  wrong.  They  had  prosecuted  him  "  over 
there" — the  Court-house  was  just  across  the 
street — and  had  made  it  cost  him  a  great  deal ; 
and  the  attorneys,  too,  while  prosecuting  him, 
would  at  the  same  time  have  a  bottle  in  their 
pockets.  But  no  one  had  ever  talked  to  him 
before  about  it. 

I  was  obliged  to  leave  him  and  take  the  train 
for  Kenton.  A  fearfully  rainy  time !  Mr.  Miller, 
editor  of  the  Republican,  met  me  and  took  me  to 
his  home.  It  was  still  raining  when  we  drove 
to  the  church.  A  lad  near  the  door  said  as  I 
ascended  the  steps,  "Ye  can't  get  in  there! 
You  couldn't  get  a  seat  if  you  did  !"  But  I 
managed  to  get  in,  though  the  house  was 
densely  packed — almost  walking  on  the  people, 
for  even  the  platform  was  crowded.  But  that 


258       MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE. 

boy  outside  was  on  my  mind.  I  told  the  sisters 
about  him,  and  said  I  wished  I  could  meet  all 
their  children.  They  were  wonderfully  quick 
in  those  days  to  grasp  an  idea  and  act  upon  it. 
"Let  us  have  a  children's  meeting  to-morrow 
morning?"  they  said.  They  asked  the  superin- 
tendent of  the  schools  to  permit  the  children  to 
come  at  nine  o'clock  for  half  an  hour. 

After  returning  from  the  meeting,  the  weary, 
but  happy  Crusader  was  delightfully  serenaded 
by  the  brass  band. 

The  next  morning,  upon  going  to  the  church, 
there  were  those  dear,  bright  boys  and  girls 
waiting  for  me,  and  they  cheered  me  roundly  as 
I  stepped  upon  the  platform.  They  seemed, 
too,  to  understand,  or  guessed  where  the  cheers 
ought  to  come  in  as  I  talked,  for  they  were  fre- 
quent and  hearty.  This  was  the  first  children's 
meeting  (  excepting  the  Sunday  mass-meeting  in 
my  city,  already  mentioned )  in  the  Crusade, 
and  from  it  resulted  a  flourishing  Band  of  Hope 
that  was  kept  up  for  many  years, — until  the 
superintendent's  health  failed. 

Sometime  after  this  as  I  was  passing  up  the 
road,  upon  reaching  Kenton,  I  threw  up  the 
window  to  see  if  any  of  the  friends  I  knew  might 
be  at  the  train,  when  a  lot  of  the  dear  boys  I 
had  addressed  that  morning  gathered  around, 
and  with  great  enthusiasm  began  to  tell  me  what 
they  were  doing  in  the  temperance  work ;  the 
girls  were  also  circulating  pledges  and  getting 
signers. 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  259 

Last  fall  I  was  called  to  a  town  to  speak,  and 
after  meeting  closed,  a  young  man  came  and 
introduced  himself,  saying  he  was  one  of  the 
boys  I  addressed  that  morning  at  Kenton,  and 
had  been  a  member  of  "  Mother  Stewart's  Band 
of  Hope,"  as  it  was  called.  He  was  engaged  in 
teaching ;  was  an  intelligent  and  interesting 
appearing  young  man,  and  I  learned  was  highly 
esteemed  for  his  moral  and  Christian  character. 
And  again,  being  at  our  National  Convention  in 
Minneapolis  last  year,  I  met  another  of  those 
Band  of  Hope  boys,  who  was  there  filling  a 
place  of  usefulness  in  life.  Who  can  ever  know 
how  far  the  streams  of  blessing  shall  reach  that 
started  in  that  Kenton  Children's  Meeting? 

After  the  children's  meeting  I  met  the  ladies 
in  their  morning  meeting,  then  marched  with 
them  to  the  saloons.  At  one  place,  as  I  talked 
to  the  proprietor,  the  tears  trickled  down  his 
face  as  he  exclaimed,  "Oh,  I  know  so  much 
better  than  you  do  the  enormity  of  this  traffic," 
and  he  turned  away  to  hide  his  emotion.  He 
was  an  American,  while  his  partner  was  a  Ger- 
man and  did  not  seem  to  be  in  the  least  affected 
by  our  visit  or  appeal.  This  was  quite  generally 
the  difference  between  our  native-born  saloon- 
keepers and  the  foreigners.  Those  of  the  old 
countries  had  always  been  accustomed  to  their 
beer  in  their  homes,  at  their  meals,  everywhere, 
from  childhood,  and  it  was  very  hard  to  make 
them  see  that  there  was  any  harm  in  drinking  or 
selling  it.  Many  of  the  native-born  had  gone 


26O  MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE. 

into  the  business  without  thinking  much  about 
it,  only  that  it  was  an  easy  and  quick  way  to 
make  money.  But  when  visited  by  ladies  whose 
standing  they  knew, — many  of  whom  they  knew 
personally,  and  in  whose  sincerity  and  piety  they 
had  unbounded  confidence,  it  troubled  their 
consciences  and  made  them  ashamed  of  their 
business.  Dry-goods  merchants  have  said,  "If 
the  ladies  should  visit  my  place  of  business  with 
such  songs  and  prayers  I  should  conclude  it  was 
a  bad  business,  and  get  out  of  it  as  quick  as 
possible."  Again,  when  these  men  heard  the 
plaintive  voice  of  prayer  and  our  songs, — some  of 
them  the  same  that  mother  had  sung  in  the  old 
home,  in  the  days  of  their  childhood, — it  was 
not  so  surprising  that  repentance  and  forsaking 
their  sin  followed  the  awakening  of  conscience. 
After  we  had  made  our  calls,  the  band  escorted 
me  to  the  depot,  and  sang  as  we  waited — 

"  Nearer  my  God  to  Thee, — 
Nearer  to  Thee." 

And  as  the  train  sped  away  they  sang — • 

"  Shall  we  gather  by  the  river, 

Where  bright  angel  feet  have  trod ; 
With  its  crystal  tide  forever, 

Flowing  by  the  throne  of  God  ; 
Yes,  we'll  gather  at  the  river, 

The  beautiful,  the  beautiful  river — 
Gather  with  the  saints  at  the  river, 

That  flows  by  the  throne  of  God." 

I  stood  on  the  platform  catching  the  last  dying 
cadences  of  the  song,  being  held  by  that  saintly 
man,  Dr.  Waddell,  who  has  since  gone  over  to 


MEMORIES  OF  THE   CRUSADE. 


26  1 


"gather  with  the  saints  by  the  river."  When 
we  ran  into  the  depot  at  Bellefontaine,  Rev.  Mr. 
Williams  sprang  on,  exclaiming,  "Oh,  Mother 
Stewart,  I  want  to  tell  you  the  good  news  first! 
J—  J—  -  has  surrendered!"  As  the  train 
stopped  for  dinner,  I  hastened  off  with  Brother 
Williams  to  see  and  congratulate  my  friend  upon 
his  brave,  manly  act.  I  found  him  at  his  place 
of  business,  looking  cheerful  and  happy.  I  spoke 
a  few  words,  and  away  to  the  train  for  Sidney. 
He  had  gone  into  the  morning  meeting  and 
attempted  to  tell  his  story,  but  overcome  by 
emotion,  dropped  on  his  knees  by  Jennie  Smith's 
couch  and  finished,  while  the  tears  rolled  down 
his  cheeks  and  fell  on  her  hands.  And  there  on 
his  knees  he  signed  the  dealer's  pledge.  He 
stood  bravely  for  a  time.  I  remember  his  send- 
ing me  the  message,  "  I  am  standing  fast;  am 
not  making  as  much  money,  but  I  sleep  sounder  T 
I  fear  the  friends,  as  in  some  other  places,  for- 
got to  redeem  their  pledge  to  support  him  in  his 
new  business.  Upon  returning  to  B.  sometime 
afterwards,  I  was  greatly  pained  to  learn  that  he 
luul  gone  back  to  his  liquor-selling.  I  called  on 
him  and  he  invited  me  to  dinner,  and  I  went  and 
h;id  a  deeply  interesting  visit  with  him  and  his 
wife.  When  we  parted  he  repeated  over  and 
,  "I  mean  to  get  out  of  the  business!"  and 
called  back  after  me  as  he  left,  "You'll  see;  I 
will  get  out  of  it !"  I  am  glad  to  say  that  though 
I  did  not  have  the  pleasure  of  seeing  him  and 
his  family  on  my  last  visit  to  B. — they  being 


262  MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

out  of  town— I  learned  that  he  was  out  of  the 
liquor  business.  May  the  Lord  save  him  and 
his  with  an  everlasting  salvation. 

It  is  a  pleasure  to  record  here  that  to  a  kind 
word  spoken  in  this  man's  saloon  for  me,  by  a 
gentleman  from  my  city,  inspiring  him  with 
confidence  in  my  sincerity,  was  largely  due  his 
surrender.  I  am  sorry  I  never  knew  the  gentle- 
man's name,  but  glad  to  record  the  deed  with  its 
result,  and  leave  the  moral  with  the  reader. 

I  reached  Sidney  too  late  to  join  the  ladies  on 
the  street,  but  met  several  at  tea,  then  addressed 
a  crowded  mass-meeting  and  assisted  in  a  busi- 
ness meeting  after  the  public  meeting.  Then  a 
company  escorted  me  to  my  stopping  place  and 
remained  with  me  till  time  to  take  the  midnight 
train. 

I  neglected  to  say  that  a  committee  of  two 
ladies  and  a  gentleman  had  been  sent  over  from 
Marion  to  Bellefontaine  to  engage  me  to  stop  at 
M.  as  I  passed  through  to  Ashland,  for  Friday 
evening.  I  could  not  see  how  it  could  be  done, 
but  the  gentleman  had  the  faculty  of  talking  me 
into  his  view  of  things.  He  figured  the  matter 
out,  and  they  returned  to  announce  and  arrange 
for  the  meeting  on  Friday ;  and  I  was  working 
up  to  his  schedule.  I  reached  Marion  about 
four  o'clock  in  the  morning, — a  rainy,  dismal 
morning.  My  friend  met  and  drove  me  to  his 
elegant  and  comfortable  home,  where  I  caught 
a  little  sleep  ; — but  up  again,  too  ill  to  eat  any 
breakfast, — and  out  to  the  nine  o'clock  business 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  263 

meeting,  then  a  public  meeting ;  organized  the 
ladies  and  led  them  out  to  visit  the  saloons,  the 
rain  still  falling.  It  was  court  week,  and  the 
town  was  full  of  people,  and  as  we  stood  or  knelt 
before  the  saloon  crying  to  Heaven  for  deliver- 
ance, or  sent  out  on  the  damp,  murky  air  the 
wail — 

'  Jesus  lover  of  my  soul, 

Let  me  to  Thy  bosom  fly," 

men  stood  with  uncovered  heads  in  the  rain, 
while  the  tears  coursed  down  their  cheeks.  One, 
I  was  told,  was  so  overcome  by  the  scene  that 
he  had  to  support  himself  by  the  lamp-post,  and 
at  length  had  to  be  led  away.  We  disbanded  at 
twelve,  but  met  again  at  half-past  one,  and  I 
stood  and  talked  to  a  crowded  house  of  men  and 
women  till  time  to  take  the  train  for  Ash- 
land,— the  people  said  two  hours, — I  don't 
know. 

Again  the  band  escorted  me  to  the  train,  and 
at  Ashland  we  had  another  large  audience.  The 
next  morning  early  I  took  the  train  for  home. 
I  remember  I  was  very  weary,  as  I  fancy  I  had 
a  right  to  be  by  this  time,  and  had  curled  up  as 
best  I  could  in  my  seat  to  get  a  little,  sleep,  if 
possible,  and  was  just  opening  the  gates  of 
dreamland  when  the  sound  of  sweet  music  fell 
on  my  ear.  I  started  up,  saying,  ' '  Oh,  there  is 
a  band  somewhere,"  when  I  discovered  it  was  a 
mother  in  the  coach  singing  a  lullaby  to  her 
baby, — a  case  of  Crusade  on  the  brain,  perhaps. 

The   foregoing   may   give   a  glimpse  of  the 


264  MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

excitement  everywhere,  and  of  the  work  that 
had  come  so  strangely  into  my  hands.  I  was 
now  almost  fifty-eight  years  old,  but  it  seemed 
that  my  youth  was  renewed  like  the  eagle's,  and 
there  was  a  glad  buoyancy  of  spirit  and  a  song 
in  my  heart,  as  I  traveled  night  and  day  rallying 
the  armies  of  the  Lord  and  urging  on  the  battle. 
Letters  of  sympathy  and  encouragement  came 
to  me  from  many  sources.  Here  is  one  from 
the  sick-room : 

DEAR  SISTERS  :  How  I  long  to  be  with  you  in 
this  glorious  war  against  the  iniquitous  liquor  traffic 
and  intemperance,  but  I  am  denied  the  privilege, 
having  been  confined  to  the  house  by  sickness  for 
the  last  fifteen  years ;  and  though  I  cannot  give  you 
my  bodily  presence,  I  am  with  you  in  spirit,  and 
hope  and  pray  that  you  may  be  successful  in  your 
good  work.  MRS.  THOS.  EDMONDSON. 

The  following  intensely  interesting  letter  will 
show  that  even  within  prison  walls,  and  behind 
bolts  and  bars,  we  were  watched  and  prayed  for 
with  deep  interest. 

OHIO  PENITENTIARY,  COLUMBUS, 

February  24,    1874. 
Mrs.  E.  D.  Stewart: 

MADAM  :  God  speed  the  movement  inaugurated 
by  the  brave  women  of  Springfield  for  the  suppres- 
sion of  the  liquor  traffic.  May  the  tidal  wave  rise 
higher  and  higher  and  spread  wider  till  the  last  drop 
of  the  intoxicating  beverage  is  swept  from  our  land. 
At  the  commencement  of  our  chapel  service  on  Sun- 
day morning,  our  dear,  good  Chaplain  prayed  most 
fervently  for  the  great  work,  and  audible  responses 
came  from  earnest  and  sincere  hearts  of  the  hundreds 
of  prisoners  who  were  brought  to  their  present  con- 
dition by  acts  committed  when  under  the  influence 
of  ardent  spirits.  At  the  prayer  and  experience 
meeting,  held  on  Sabbath  afternoon,  one  man  said : 


MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE.  26$ 

"  I  was  many  years  a  sailor ;  have  been  on  board  all 
kinds  of  vessels,  from  a  canal-boat  to  an  ocean 
steamer ;  have  never  had  command  of  but  one 
vessel,  and  that  came  from  the  hands  of  its  builder 
in  perfect  order,  but  when  I  came  ashore  I  under- 
took to  run  the  vessel,  of  which  I  was  commander, 
with  whisky,  and  that  is  why  I  am  here  to-day,  and 
I  thank  God  for  it,  for  he  has  converted  my  soul, 
and  through  his  grace  I  mean  to  be  a  free  man  for- 
ever. " 

Another  said:  "  Brethren,  you  have  all  seen  a 
steam  engine, — how  exact  and  regular  in  all  its 
movements  when  built  by  an  experienced  workman, 
properly  lubricated,  and  the  steam  power  is  employed. 
So  with  the  human  body,  it  comes  from  the  plastic 
hand  of  the  Great  Master  Builder,  perfect  and  com- 
plete, and  when  the  motive  power — the  heart — is 
lubricated  with  the  grace  of  our  Divine  Master,  it 
accomplishes  the  object  for  which  it  was  made.  I 
did  not  follow  the  teachings  of  my  sainted  mother, 
but  in  the  devious  ways  of  sin,  with  my  machinery 
lubricated  with  vile  whisky,  I  ran  the  downward 
road  until  I  landed  in  the  Ohio  Penitentiary." 

Of  the  new  prisoners  who  come  almost  daily  to  the 
Chaplain's  office,  from  the  beardless  youth  to  the 
hoary-headed  men  of  advanced  years,  a  very  large 
proportion  who  answer  the  question,  "  How  came 
you  to  get  into  trouble  ?"  answer,  "  I  was  under  the 
influence  of  whisky  when  I  committed  the  act  that 
brought  me  here." 

A  few  days  ago  an  old  man,  sixty-three  years  of 
age,  who  had  been  a  school  teacher  for  forty  years, 
tinder  a  sentence  of  three  years  for  stealing  a  horse 
when  drunk,  came  to  the  office  under  the  influence 
of  liquor  given  him  by  the  sheriff  who  brought  him 
here. 

What  we  want,  Mother  Stewart,  is  more  and  still 
more  of  the  prayer  suasion,  for  prayer  is  the  key, 
which,  when  turned  by  the  hand  of  faith,  unlocks 
God's  richest  treasures.  By  earnest  prayer  and 
loving  faith  the  omnipotent  arm  of  Jehovah  will 
uphold  you  in  your  work  of  love,  and  in  due  time 
"ye  shall  reap  if  ye  faint  not." 

Respectfully, 


266  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

It  is  plain  from  the  above  letter  that  it  is  not 
only  the  low  and  ignorant  that  are  brought  to 
pay  the  felon's  penalty  through  drink.  The 
talent  there  manifested  would  bless  mankind  if 
it  were  not  for  the  drink, — the  accursed  drink. 
And  who  shall  answer  at  the  bar  for  this  waste 
of  Heaven's  richest  gifts  to  man  ? 

Akron,  a  business  and  manufacturing  rival  of 
Springfield,  took  hold  of  the  Crusade  in  down- 
right business  fashion  ;  and  what  earnestness  and 
faith  and  power  they  developed  ! 

A  hundred  women  issued  a  call  for  a  meeting 
to  be  held  March  4th,  but  before  they  moved 
out,  twelve  days  later,  there  were  seven  hundred 
and  sixty-one  enrolled.  All-day  prayer-meetings 
and  evening  mass-meetings  were  held  for  some 
ten  days.  Then  on  the  i6th  of  March  they 
formed  into  line  and  marched  forth  in  the  rain. 
I  did  not  visit  Akron  during  the  Crusade,  and 
so  have  recourse  to  the  "  History  of  the  Great 
Temperance  Reform,"  by  Rev.  James  Shaw, 
for  these  items  ;  also  for  the  statement  that  the 
spring  election  turned  upon  and  was  carried  in 
favor  of  temperance.  The  McConnelsville  ordi- 
nance was  passed  April  7th ;  the  mayor,  police 
and  city  solicitor  united  in  enforcing  the  laws 
and  bringing  offenders  to  justice,  and  that  the 
Beacon  ( its  editor  being  in  full  sympathy 
with  the  Crusade)  rendered  valuable  aid.  Of 
this  host  of  ladies  I  can  now  recall  but  few 
names — Sisters  Mann,  Monroe,  and  Uhler.  I 
also  recall — who  could  forget — that  grand  helper 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  267 

who  has  stood  by  us  through  all  the  following 
years,  Hon.  Ferdinand  Schumacher,  with  Broth- 
ers Rhodes  and  Buchtel. 

Alliance,  with  its  University  neighbor,  Mount 
Union,  early  fell  into  line,  led  by  Mattie  McClel- 
lan  Brown,  who  had  for  years  before  the 
women's  uprising  been  doing  a  grand  work  as 
Worthy  Chief  Templar,and  editor  of  \htAlliance 
Mirror,  and  her  gallant  husband,  Rev.  E.  K. 
Brown,  D.  D.,  now  President  of  the  Wesleyan 
Female  College,  Cincinnati ;  Dr.  Hartshorn, 
President  of  Mt.  Union  College;  Mrs.  M.  B. 
Reese,  who  has  long  since  made  herself  a 
national  reputation  as  a  lecturer,  and  Mrs.  M. 
E.  Griffith,  who  has  also  taken  her  place  as 
among  the  efficient  and  popular  lecturers  of  the 
country. 

In  Cadiz  the  work  was  entered  upon  and 
prosecuted  with  the  greatest  of  enthusiasm,  and 
it  was  not  long  till  a  glorious  victory  was 
achieved  and  celebrated  with  glad  shouting, 
ringing  of  bells  and  firing  of  cannon.  No  such 
demonstration  ever  witnessed  in  the  town,  except 
upon  the  news  that  Lee  had  surrendered  at 
Appomatox. 

To  their  beloved  minister,  Rev.  W.  M. 
Grimes,  more  than  any  other,  they  were  indebted 
for  the  speedy  overthrow  of  the  liquor  power. 
For  earnestness  and  cheerful  enthusiasm,  I 
scarcely  ever  saw  his  equal,  and  I  never  met 
him  but  I  felt  inspired  with  a  new  impulse  for 
our  blessed  cause.  But  he,  too,  has  been  called 


268  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

to  join  the  great  company  before  the  Throne, 
leaving  the  world  the  poorer  for  the  loss. 
Among  the  ladies  were  Mrs.  W.  C.  Brown, 
President ;  Miss  Lizzie  T.  McFadden,  Mrs.  Dr. 
Drummond,  Mrs.  Walter  Craig,  and  Mrs.  E.  M. 
Slemmens. 

At  Jackson  C.  H.  those  eminent  Christian 
ladies,  Mrs.  C.  V.  Long,  Mrs.  E.  Mackley, 
Mrs.  Robbins,  Mrs.  Sutherland,  Mrs.  Vaughn 
and  Mrs.  Carr,  were  sustained  in  their  holy  work 
by  their  ministers,  the  editor  of  the  Jackson 
Standard,  Mr.  D.  Mackley — who  has  also  been 
discharged  and  gone  home — and  a  goodly  num- 
ber of  the  substantial  business  men;  and  a 
blessed  work  was  done. 

Of  Ravenna,  I  have  no  record  at  hand,  and 
did  not  happen  to  be  called  there  during  our 
campaign.  But  Ravenna  gave  us  our  second 
State  President  and  National  Recording  Secre- 
tary, Mrs.  Mary  A.  Woodbridge,  of  whom  we 
are  justly  proud,  of  whom  all  the  world  has 
heard  and  will  hear  more. 

How  I  wish  there  might  be  a  biographical 
account  given  to  the  world  of  the  long  list  of 
Ohio  women  whose  hearts  were  fired,  whose  lips 
were  touched  as  with  a  live  coal  from  ofifthe  altar, 
and  their  intellects  illuminated  by  grace  from  on 
high,  and  who  have  since  gone  forth  into  an 
hundred  fields,  helping  to  garner  the  harvest  for 
the  Master. 

Yellow  Springs,  our  nice,  little,  literary  neigh- 
bor, seat  of  Antioch  College,  early  entered  upon 


MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE.  269 

the  work  and  prosecuted  it  with  enthusiasm,  and 
much  good  was  accomplished.  But  they  have 
found,  as  we  have  everywhere  since,  that  the 
blow  dealt  with  such  nerve  and  muscle  and 
unerring  aim,  did  not  finish,  only  stunned  the 
brute  for  a  season. 

At  Hamden,  on  the  Marietta  and  Cincinnati 
road,  the  people,  men  and  women  combined, — 
husbands  giving  up  nearly  all  business  interests 
and  standing  by  their  wives, — and  of  course  a 
blessed  result  followed.  Some  came  in  from  the 
country  to  help.  One  devoted  Methodist  sister, 
who  was  so  wonderfully  gifted  in  prayer,  Mrs. 
Foster,  came  some  miles  to  help.  She  has  gone 
to  join  the  company  who  have  no  need  of  prayer, 
but  are  continually  before  the  Throne,  giving 
praise  and  thanksgiving  to  God  and  the  Lamb. 
Of  this  band  of  determined  men  and  women,  the 
names  come  to  me  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ray,  Dill, 
my  kinsman  Campbell,  Burtenshaw,  McKinnis, 
Hon.  H.  S.  Bundy,  parents  of  our  present 
Governor's  wife,  Mrs.  Foraker,  with  their  daugh- 
ter, Miss  "Dide" — my  namesake;  also  my 
esteemed  friend  Ohmer,  who  was  once  a  noted 
proprietor  of  a  beer-garden  in  Cincinnati,  but 
had  come  to  see  that  money  earned  in  honorable 
business  had  not  only  a  much  greater  staying 
quality,  but  brought  much  more  respectability 
and  happiness. 

Oh,  I  wish  I  could  tell  it  all,  all  the  wonder- 
ful story  of  this  greatest,  most  glorious  war  of 
all  the  ages.  But  again  I  am  admonished  that 
these  pages  are  multiplying  beyond  limit,  and  I 
must  sorrowfully  desist. 


CHAPTER    XIV. 


Chillicothe,   Emmet  House,    Me  Arthur,    Marietta 
and  Gallipo'is. 

&£3**JftA 

-%;'•••  1 1 «" 

FIND  in  a  copy  of  the  Scioto  Gazette  of 
March  18,  1874,  the  announcement  that 
"  Mother  Stewart  arrived  in  Chillicothe 
on  Thursday,  the  I2th,  and  attended  the  after- 
noon meeting  " 

From  the  meeting  we  marched  to  £)ennison's 
saloon,  he  having  promised  the  ladies  that  he 
would  surrender  his  liquors  to  be  poured  out,  if 
they  would  buy  his  furniture  and  fixtures. 
When  we  reached  his  place,  the  liquor  was 
carried  out  and  poured  into  the  gutter  in  the 
presence  of  a  great  crowd  of  people.  The  Com- 
mercial reporter  who  reported  the  scene  said  : 
"  As  the  liquor  ran  down  the  gutter  towards  the 
Scioto,  one  poor,  litt'e  bit  of  humanity  clapped 
her  hands  and  shouted,  '  Oh,  now  my  papa  will 
never  get  drunk  any  more!''  I  suppose  the 
poor  child  thought  that  was  the  last  of  the  whisky 
business. 

From  a  beer-cask  I  addressed  the  people 
while  the  work  of  spilling  went  on.  In  studying 
the  obliging  saloon-keeper,  who  was  quite  a 

270 


MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

young  man,  I  was  led  to  question  his  entire 
honesty  in  the  matter ;  but  it  was  not  in  our  line 
to  test  the  strength  or  quality  of  the  liquors 
submitted  to  be  poured  out.  I  heard  afterwards 
that  he  opened  up  again  with  quite  improved 
appearances,  the  presumption  being  that  he  had 
not  made  a  bad  thing  of  it. 

The  Gazette  reports  the  immense  mass-meet- 
ing on  the  same  evening  at  the  First  Presbyterian 
Church,  addressed  by  Mother  Stewart  and 
Beadle,  as  probably  the  largest  that  ever  assem- 
bled in  that  edifice  before.  The  excitement 
was  so  great  that  an  hour  before  the  time  stated 
for  meeting  the  house  was  crowded  to  overflow- 
ing. 

On  Friday  we  visited  some  of  the  saloons. 
The  ladies  had  said  a  good  deal  about  Captain 
Bowers,  of  the  Emmett  House,  and  expressed  a 
strong  desire  that  I  should  go  with  them  to  call 
on  him.  I  had  not,,  from  their  remarks,  been 
able  to  gather  any  very  definite  idea  of  the  gen- 
tleman, or  why  they  were  so  anxious  for  me  to 
see  him,  except  that  he  kept  a  bar  in  connection 
with  his  hotel.  But  as  soon  as  I  met  him  I  saw 
that  we  had  made  a  mistake,  that  no  possible 
good  could  come  of  anything  we  could  say  to 
him ;  but  I  conducted  the  interview  with  him, 
since  we  were  into  it,  with  what  discretion  I 
could,  as  I  saw  he  was  disposed  to  be  anything 
but  courteous,  and  to  anger  me  if  possible. 

In  the  course  of  the  conversation  he  declared 
that  he  would  not  close  his  bar.  I  answered 


272  MEMORIES  OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

that  perhaps  he  would,  notwithstanding  his 
declaration  now.  "  Oh !"  said  he,  ' '  you  threaten, 
do  you  ?"  ' '  No, "  I  told  him,  ' '  the  good  sisters 
would  pray  for  him,  and  peradventure  the  Lord 
would  touch  his  heart."  The  sisters  were  just 
then  about  to  sing,  when  he  strode  to  the  door, 
making  his  heels  ring  on  the  marble  floor,  and 
throwing  the  door  open  invited  us  out.  The 
ladies  were  greatly  distressed  at  the  unexpected 
turn  the  affair  had  taken,  because  of  the  insult 
to  me.  But  I  assured  them  that  I  did  not  regard 
it  in  the  least,  and  that  I  knew  good  would  come 
of  it  to  our  cause.  They  were  about  to  move 
away,  but  I  requested  them  to  sing  that  precious 
old  hymn, 

"A  charge  to  keep  I  have 
A  God  to  glorify," 

saying  we  must  at  least  have  one  prayer  before 
we  left. 

After  the  singing  we  knelt  and  offered  prayer 
for  our  friend,  then  departed.  But  the  end  was 
not  yet.  The  trouble  with  the  affable  Captain 
was  that  he  would  sell  liquor  to  whomsoever 
would  pay  for  it ;  and  he  did  a  great  deal  of 
harm  by  it.  But  he  prided  himself  on  keeping 
a  first-class  house,  and  to  be  visited  by  the 
Crusaders,  as  any  other  common  sinner,  was,  from 
his  point  of  view,  a  very  grave  insult ;  besides, 
his  rival,  the  Warner  House,  was  just  across  the 
way,  and  of  course  the  proprietors  were  exulting 
over  his  discomfiture.  It  was  almost  like  being 
stricken  with  leprosy  to  be  visited  by  the 


MEMORIES  OF  THE   CRUSADE.  2/3 

Crusaders,  and  thus  have  their  sins  published  to 
the  world. 

When  the  Captain  found  that  the  sympathies 
of  the  people  were  with  the  ladies,  he  concluded 
he  had  made  a  mistake,  and  caused  it  to  be 
circulated  that  he  did  not  "  invite  "  (? )  the  ladies 
out,  but  into  the  parlor.  Accordingly  the  ladies 
inserted  the  following  card  in  the  Scioto  Gazette  : 

We,  the  ladies  of  Chillicothe,  engaged  in  the  sup- 
pression of  the  liquor  sale  in  this  city,  desire  to  refute 
over  our  own  signatures,  the  rumor  generally  circu- 
lated, that  Captain  Bowers,  of  the  Emmett  House, 
tendered  us  the  use  of  his  parlors  on  the  occasion  of 
our  recent  visit,  in  which  to  hold  religious  services. 
Captain  Bowers  did  not  mention  the  fact  that  we 
could  use  the  parlors  of  the  Emmett  House,  either 
directly  or  indirectly,  except  in  reply  to  a  question 
asked  by  Mother  Stewart,  as  to  what  course  he  would 
pursue  if  some  of  the  mothers  or  wives  of  the  men  to 
whom  he  daily  dispensed  this  liquid  destruction 
were  to  come  and  seat  themselves  in  his  bar-room. 
He  replied  that  he  would  tell  them  it  was  no  place 
for  them,  but  that  the  parlor  was  the  place  for  ladies. 
We  take  this  method  of  refuting  the  rumor,  because 
it  has  placed  us,  even  in  the  eyes  of  some  of  our 
friends,  in  a  false  light. 

MOTHER  STEWART,  Springfield, 

MRS.  COL.  BOND, 

MRS.  NELSON  CARLISLE, 

MRS.  F.  E.  ARMSTRONG, 

MRS.  HAMILL, 

MRS.  ABERNATHY, 

MRS.  W.  W.  GRAHAM, 

Miss  KATE  GRAHAM. 

These  names  were  of  the  best  families  of  Chil- 
licothe. Mrs.  Col.  Bond  was  the  mother  of  the 
editor  of  the  Scioto  Gazette,  whose  wife,  by  the 
way,  formerly  Miss  Frank  Currier,  of  Athens, 
was  a  niece  of  ours. 

(18) 


274  MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE. 

The  news  of  Captain  Bowers'  discourtesy  to 
the  ladies  spread  far  and  wide  over  the  country, 
and  as  the  traveling  world,  as  well  as  the  rest  of 
mankind,  was  largely  in  sympathy  with  the 
Crusaders,  when  strangers  arrived  at  the  depot 
their  first  inquiry  of  the  hackmen  would  be, 
1 '  At  which  hotel  was  it  that  the  Crusaders  were 
insulted?"  and  upon  being  told,  would  say,  "I 
can't  go  there  ;  drive  me  to  another."  I  under- 
stood the  Captain  declared  that  Mother  Stewart 
had  injured  him  to  the  amount  of  five  hundred 
dollars.  As  the  children  say,  I  didn't  go  to, 
and  it  is  with  me  an  open  question  whether  it 
was  I  or  he  that  did  it. 

Upon  leaving  the  Emmett  House  we  visited 
the  Warner  House.  The  proprietor  met  us  at 
the  door,  welcomed  us  in,  led  the  way  to  the 
parlor,  sat  down  and  talked  with  us,  bade  us 
hold  our  meeting  there,  and  when  we  were 
through  escorted  us  to  the  door,  politely  invited 
the  ladies  to  call  again,  and  bade  us  good-bye,— 
no  more  sincere,  very  probably,  than  the  Cap- 
tain, but  certainly  more  politic.  A  few  weeks 
later  I  was  passing  up  by  stage-coach  from  Ports- 
mouth and  some  other  points  down  the  river, 
and  as  the  coach  line,  as  well  as  the  Emmett 
House,  belonged  to  Mr.  Emmett,  the  Waverly 
distiller,  the  passengers  were  taken  to  this  house 
if  they  did  not  otherwise  direct.  As  the  coach 
rolled  up  to  the  door  the  clerk  sprang  out  to 
receive  the  passengers,  but  upon  his  offering  to 
help  me  out  I  told  him  I  could  not  stop  at  the 


MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE.  2?$ 

Emmett  House.  "Why?"  he  demanded.  I 
answered  that  I  had  been  turned  out  of  that 
house.  He  "did  not  believe  it !"  he  gallantly 
responded.  I  called  to  the  driver  to  set  me 
down  at  the  Warner  House,  which  he  did,  and 
as  I  bade  him  good-bye  I  requested  him  to  give 
my  compliments  to  Captain  B.,  and  tell  him  I 
was  Mother  Stewart.  (  May  be  this  was  another 
spasm  of  Topsy's  wickedness,  to  which  I  am 
subject  upon  occasion.) 

I  suppose  the  proprietor  had  noticed  the 
occurrence  across  the  way  ;  at  all  events  he  was 
waiting  to  receive  me  with  extended  arms, 
ushered  me  in  and  treated  me  to  the  best  the 
house  afforded,  which  made  me  very  comfort- 
able, and  for  which  I  paid  value  received. 

But  to  return  to  our  meetings.  On  Friday 
evening  the  Good  Templars  tendered  me  an 
open  reception.  The  Worthy  Chief,  Dr.  Frank 
Miessy,  was  one  of  our  Ohio  University  boys,  a 
grand,  good  fellow,  and  substantial  supporter  of 
the  Crusaders.  On  Saturday  morning  I  addressed 
a  large  meeting  of  the  boys  and  girls,  this  being 
the  third  in  the  Crusade.  Here,  as  everywhere, 
the  children  were  greatly  excited  and  interested 
in  the  Crusade.  Ah,  many  of  them  knew  what 
it  meant  to  be  a  drunkard's  child.  Many  had  the 
inherited  taint  coursing  through  their  veins,  and 
if  they  did  not  surrender  to  the  inborn  craving 
they  would  only  escape  through  a  life-long 
battle.  "Oh,"  said  a  lady  as  we  entered  the 
church  that  morning  and  looked  into  the  faces 


276  MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE. 

of  those  hundreds  of  children,  "  if  we  can  only 
save  these  dear  children  our  labor  will  not  be  in 
vain." 

Sitting  just  in  front  of  me  as  I  talked,  was*  a 
little,  shrinking,  thinly-clad,  pale-faced  boy.  I 
needed  no  one  to  tell  me  he  was  a  drunkard's 
child.  A  few  years  later  I  was  again  in  Chilli- 
cothe,  and  as  my  friend  drove  me  out  he  was 
telling  me  of  the  wonderful  Blue  Ribbon  work 
in  the  town.  I  asked  about  a  dentist  of  whom 
I  had  heard  a  good  deal, — he  had  married  one 
of  my  students.  ' '  Oh, ' '  said  he,  ' '  he  has  signed 
the  pledge  and  is  doing  well,  and  here  he  comes 
now."  Looking  in  the  direction  he  indicated, 
I  saw  a  gentleman  of  very  respectable  appear- 
ance approaching,  leading  a  couple  of  bright, 
well-clad  children.  The  boy's  eyes  were  fairly 
dancing  with  glee  as  he  came  up.  "  Oh  !"  said 
he,  "I  know  Mother  Stewart!"  This  rosy, 
romping  boy  was  my  pale-faced  boy  of  that  Sat- 
urday morning. 

Our  wonderfully  successful  meetings  greatly 
alarmed  the  liquor  fraternity ;  they  began  to  see 
that  their  craft  was  in  danger,  and  that  some- 
thing must  be  done,  so  they  advertised  a  meet- 
ing for  Saturday  night,  to  be  addressed  by 
Judge  Safford,  who  had  covered  himself  with 
glory  of  a  certain  sort  by  appearing  as  the  prose- 
cuting lawyer  for  the  renowned  Dr.  Dunn, 
against  the  ladies  of  Hillsboro.  Mr.  Beadle, 
after  our  McArthur  meeting,  returned  expressly 
to  report  this  very  unique  meeting,  the  only  one 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 


2/7 


of  its  kind  in  the  annals  of  the  press  of  that  or 
any  other  time.  Of  his  vivid  and  lengthened 
description  I  can  only  give  place  for  a  part, 
simply  as  testimony  from  an  impartial  source  as 
to  the  grade  or  class  of  the  two  elements,  the 
Crusaders  and  the  saloons.  Mr.  Beadle  says  he 
could  not  think  of  giving  a  full  report  of  that 
gathering  to  his  readers.  He  says  : 

The  meeting  this  evening  in  opposition  to  the 
women's  movement,  was  a  success  as  to  numbers, 
but  in  nothing  else.  Soon  after  dark  the  crowd 
began  to  set  towards  the  City  Hall,  and  in  a  short 
time  a  tumultuous  mass  filled  the  room  with  the  steam 
of  beer  and  the  fumes  of  vile  tobacco.  I  saw  a  dozen 
or  twenty  women  walk  up  to  the  door  with  escorts, 
then  pause  suddenly,  and  after  a  hurried  consulta- 
tion, turn  away  with  that  peculiar  look  people  have 
when  they  get  into  the  wrong  pew.  I-ut  inside,  a 
few  feet  from  the  reporter's  table,  sat  Madame  Mary 
Yeiger,  ex-keeper  of  a  beer-garden.  I  was  told  there 
were  three  ladies  in  the  back  part  of  the  house,  but 
in  a  careful  look  I  failed  to  find  them.  But  the 

A-d — the  masculine  crowd!  Descend,  ye  tuneful 
Nine,  and  Noah  Webster,  rise  from  the  tomb  to  give 
mj  p  )!ysyllabic  strength  to  describe  them.  Such  an 

mblage,  in  sad  and  sober  truth,  I  never  saw 
before  siii>:e  the  days  when  the  Chicago  Tribune  sent 
me  to  report  an  anti-war  meeting  in  Wall  street. 
\  fear; ul  oil  mugs,  such  low-browed,  stubby- 
haire  1  s.ms  of  humanity  as  filled  the  front  seats,  it 
would  be  hard  to  equal  anywhere  outside  of  the 
1  irge  ci  ies.  I  was  particularly  struck  with  the  ap- 
pearance of  one  genius  with  a  roaming  red  nose, 
])i^  eye  and  soap-fat  chin,  who  held  an  enormous 
rlub  r.me  in  his  hind  and  started  the  applause.  He 
p  >^/»  -d  a  horrible  fascination  for  me,  and  his  pres- 

C  so  near  seriously  interfered  with  my  duties. 
Ik-Mile  him  sat  a  nondescript, — I  should  have  guessed 
him  as  a  Corkorian,  caught  young  and  partly  domes 
ticated,  or  a  Buckeye  taken  in  infancy  and  reared  on 
Irish  whisky.  These  two  fellows  are  fixed  forever 


2/8  MEMORIES   OF   THE    CRUSADE. 

in  my  memory.  They  will  haunt  my  happy  hours ; 
they  will  lead  the  scenic  march  in  more  than  one 
night-mare. 

*  *  *  Taken  as  a  whole,  I  never  could  have 
believed  that  the  fine,  old,  respectable  city  of  Chilli- 
cothe  could  have  vomited  forth  such  a  crowd.  If 
any  unprejudiced  visitor  could  have  seen  both  and 
compared  this  with  that  at  the  meeting  on  Thursday 
evening,  I  think  he  must  per  force  have  come  out 
convinced  that  the  wildest  vagaries  of  the  praying 
women's  movement  were  simple,  cold  indifference 
compared  with  what  the  situation  called  for. 

After  some  detail  of  the  speech,  which  was  a 
conglomerate  of  slang,  profanity,  blasphemy  and 
abuse  of  the  Christian  ladies  and  clergy,  the 
reporter  proceeds : 

I  trust  I  am  not  easily  excited  to  anger  or  disgust, 
I  know  I  am  not  given  to  cant,  and  I  am  persuaded 
that  those  who  have  read  these  letters  will  not  accuse 
me  of  too  great  reverence  for  religion  or  temperance, 
but  I  know  I  but  speak  the  simple  truth  when  I  say 
that  this  night's  performance  has  been,  in  all  its  par- 
ticulars, a  deep  and  damning  disgrace  to  Chillicothe. 
The  last  seven  weeks  comprise  nearly  all  my  knowl- 
edge of  the  moral  society  of  this  eastern  country, 
bat  in  five  years  in  the  far  West  I  never  attended  a 
m?eting  half  so  disgraceful.  I  have  heard  Brigham 
Young  swear  like  a  pirate  in  the  pulpit,  but  that  was 
in  a  rude  country,  with  a  rude  religion,  and  he  did 
not  profess  anything  better. 

But  that  such  a  meeting  as  this  could  have  been 
held,  or  such  a  speech  made  by  a  Judge  in  a  Chris- 
tian country,  is  something  I  never  would  have 
believed  on  another's  evidence.  In  one  respect  on]y 
is  this  better  than  the  territories;  if  such  a  speech 
had  been  made  in  any  of  the  Western  towns  in 
reference  to  their  women,  the  men  would  have 
snatched  the  speaker  out  of  the  stand  and  hanged 
him  to  the  nearest  tree.  It  was  at  once  the  most 
indecent,  profane  and  shameful  harrangue  I  ever 
listened  to. 

I  have  given  this  strange  report  at  the  risk  of 


MEMORIES    OF   THE    CRUSADE.  279 

criticism  for  inserting  such  an  account  in  a  nar- 
rative of  the  work  of  Christian  women,  but  I 
have  a  purpose  in  it.  This  is  simply  an  intima- 
tion of  the  vile  and  indecent  spirit  that  was 
manifested  by  the  low  creatures  who  were  insti- 
gated and  set  on  by  the  liquor  men,  often 
developing  in  mobs,  with  acts  of  violence  towards 
the  humble,  Christian  women. 

I  may  be  repeating,  but  I  must  reiterate  over 
and  again  in  these  pages,  that  peradventure 
the  Christian  men  of  the  nation  may  be  led  to 
pause,  ponder,  and  promptly  act  ere  it  is  too 
late.  This  same  spirit  of  mad  misrule  and 
resistance  to  the  restraints,  both  of  moral  and 
legal  influences,  fostered  by  the  liquor  power,  is 
as  strong,  yes,  far  stronger  at  the  present,  than 
in  any  previous  period  of  our  history.  These 
defiers  of  the  law  have  grown  more  bold  by  their 
successes.  It  is  this  class  that  controls  the 
political  parties,  and  to  whom  the  demagogue 
and  the  office-seeker  pander.  The  riots  in  Cin- 
cinnati and  Chicago  are  examples  of  what  they 
may  do  upon  any  pretext.  And  yet,  for  their 
services  in  helping  to  "  save  the  party,"  men  in 
the  highest  places  in  the  gift  of  the  people, 
Christian  men,  join  in  demonstrations  of  grati- 
tude, in  banquets,  where  ' '  wine  and  speeches 
were  both  good,"  in  gifts  of  gold-headed  canes, 
"magnificent  gold  watches,"  to  the  leaders 
of  this  class.  Priest  and  people  joined  hand  and 
glove  with  them. 

Monday,  March  i6th,  found  me  at  Me  Arthur, 


28O  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

my  old  home  in  the  days  of  my  teaching.  The 
meeting  was  held  in  the  Court-house,  a  "thou- 
sand people,"  says  my  companion  du voyage. 
The  ladies  had  already  done  a  noble  work,  and 
all  the  drinking  places  but  one  were  closed.  In 
the  audience  that  night  I  noticed  old  Sister 

S ,     now   over   the   four  score   line,   sitting 

patiently  on  a  hard,  backless  seat  through  all 
the  long  service.  When  I  expressed  my  wonder 
that  she  was  able  to  endure -such  fatigue,  she 
answered,  "  Oh,  it  seemed  as  though  I  could  sit 
there  all  night!"  she  was  so  glad  and  thankful 
for  the  blessed  work.  Her  youngest  son,  who 
had  been  keeping  a  saloon  and  had  been  a  hard 
case,  had  been  persuaded  to  give  up  the  busi- 
ness. No  wonder  the  poor  old  heart  was  full  of 
joy  and  gratitude. 

The  next  morning  I  met  the  ladies  in  the  ' 
morning  meeting.  It  was  their  custom  after 
their  daily  prayer  meeting,  to  visit  the  one 
remaining  place  and  hold  their  services  on  the 
pavement  at  the  head  of  the  stairs  leading  down 
into  his  saloon,  —he  did  not  permit  them  to  enter 
his  place.  On  this  morning  I  requested  the  ladies 
to  allow  me  to  precede  them  a  few  minutes.  I 
walked  in  and  introduced  myself  to  Mr.  O'Keif, 
the  proprietor,  who  received  me  very  cordially 
and  was  quite  willing  to  talk,  but  not  to  promise 
to  give  up  his  business.  I  learned  afterwards 
that  he  taunted  the  ladies  by  telling  them  that  if 
they  had  kept  Mother  Stewart  a  little  longer  he 
thought  he  would  have  surrendered ; — he  came 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  28 1 

pretty  near  it  while  she  talked  to  him,"  which  I 
have  little  doubt  was  simply  a  new  way  of  annoy- 
ing them.  Some  months  after  this  I  was  on  a 
train  from  Athens  to  Logan,  when  a  man  entered 
the  coach  and  throwing  his  overcoat  on  the  seat 
in  front  of  me,  addressed  me  very  familiarly,  and 
asked  if  I  did  not  remember  him — he  was 
O'Keif,  of  McArthur.  He  seemed  anxious  to 
talk — told  me  of  losing  his  wife,  and  of  his  little 
daughter  that  he  was  then  going  to  see  ;  said  he 
wanted  to  put  her  into  a  school  of  his  church. 
I  tried  to  reach  him  by  telling  him  how  much 
better  it  would  be  for  his  church  if  he  would  give 
up  selling  and  drinking  liquor.  He  seemed 
quite  delighted  with  my  apparent  interest  in  his 
church,  saying,  "Why,  Mother  Stewart,  you 
would  make  a  first-rate  Catholic,"  which  I  sup- 
pose was  the  highest  compliment  he  knew  how 
to  pay  me.  But  I  doubt  if  he  has  ever  given  up 
either  selling  or  drinking,  unless  the  latter  has 
cut  short  his  life. 

The  ladies  took  me  to  visit  the  Union  schools, 
where  I  addressed  the  children  from  the  steps  of 
the  building  while  they  stood  on  the  green  in 
front,  many  of  their  mothers — who  had  been 
my  students  in  the  days  of  other  years — stand- 
ing near  me.  Not  a  few  tears  were  shed  as  we 
remembered,  ah  !  so  many,  that  in  their  youth- 
ful school  days  were  as  happy  and  full  of  hope 
as  these,  but  now  gone,  never  to  return. 

My  next  point  was  Marietta,  where,  when  a 
young  lady,  I  had  attended  Seminary.  Here, 


282  MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

too,  were  the  evidences  of  time's  relentless  work. 
So  many  gone,  so  few  remaining.  Hon.  George 
Woodbridge,  so  well  remembered  in  those  long- 
gone  days  as  an  active,  earnest  Christian,  was 
still  here,  and,  as  was  to  be  expected,  a  strong 
supporter  of  the  Crusade.  Soon  after  my  arrival 
my  hostess,  Mrs.  W.,  told  me  there  was  a  gen- 
tleman living  near  that  she  wished  me  to  see. 
He  was  of  one  of  the  best  families ;  had  a  gentle, 
cultured  wife  and  two  interesting  children.  But 
his  appetite  for  the  intoxicating  cup  was  getting 
the  mastery  of  him,  and  if  he  could  not  be 
reached  soon  his  friends  feared  it  would  be  too 
late.  I  felt  my  own  weakness,  and  my  faith 
seemed  almost  to  have  forsaken  me.  I  said  to 
myself,  "It  is  of  no  use;  I  cannot  reach  the 
case!"  But  I  did  not  dare  to  confess  it,  so  I 
went  with  my  friend,  crying  in  my  heart  to  the 
Lord  for  help.  The  gentleman  received  us  very 
kindly,  and  we  were  able  at  once  to  enter  into 
conversation  with  him.  The  result  was,  that 
after  a  season  of  prayer  he  gave  me  his  hand 
that  he  would  quit  his  cups  then  and  there,  and 
he  did. 

It  was  the  Lord's  strength  and  mercy  made 
manifest  in  human  weakness.  Dear,  brave  boy  ; 
he  had  a  desperate  battle  before  him,  but  his 
last  words  when  I  went  to  bid  him  good-bye 
before  leaving  the  city,  were :  "I  will  make  the 
fight,  and  I  mean  to  stand."  How  my  heart 
was  drawn  out  to  him.  There  is  a  feeling,  I  am 
sure,  akin  to  motherhood  in  my  heart  for  those 
dear  boys  that  the  Lord  hath  given  me. 


MEMORIES    OF   THE   CRUSADE.  283 

Here  in  this  old  "  Mound  City,"  the  oldest 
town  in  the  State,  we  had  a  two-days  county 
meeting,  with  the  usual  crowd  of  people. 

I  visited  the  saloons  with  the  ladies,  and 
found  one  man  who  had  been  dealing  out  the 
deadly  stuff  for  eleven  years,  though  he  was  now 
only  twenty-one.  But  he  did  not  taste  it  him- 
self, and  was  so  well  aware  of  its  deleterious  effect 
that  he  was  careful  to  turn  his  head  away  while 
drawing  or  handling  it  for  others,  lest  he  might 
be  affected  by  the  scent  of  it. 

The  sisters  were  full  of  hope  that  this  man 
would  soon  surrender.  I  told  them  he  was  the 
hardest,  and  would  be  the  last  man  in  the  city  to 
surrender.  I  really  felt  sorry  when  I  saw  their 
disappointment  and  surprise,  but  tried  to  explain 
to  them  that  a  man,  knowing  so  well  the  con- 
sequences, and  yet  deliberately  dealing  it  out  to 
others,  was  devoid  of  either  heart  or  conscience 
through  which  to  be  reached.  That  is  the  kind  of 
man  that  will  cut  his  fellow's  throat  for  the 
money  he  will  find  in  his  pocket.  He  did  not 
surrender. 

I  was  driven  out  to  visit  the  Washington 
County  Orphan's  Home,  the  model  institution 
of  the  kind  in  the  State.  I  hope  to  find  space 
elsewhere  to  give  the  history  of  its  origin  as 
told  me  by  my  class-mate  of  our  Seminary  days, 
Miss  Catharine  Fay.  Nine-tenths  of  these  little 
ones,  so  carefully  sheltered  there,  were  subjects 
of  the  public  charity  because  their  fathers,  and 
some,  because  their  mothers  too,  were  drunkards. 


284  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

The  children  here  had,  with  everybody  else, 
become  greatly  excited  over  the  Crusade,  that 
they  hoped  was  going  to  shut  up  all  the  saloons 
and  stop  all  the  drinking. 

Mrs.  Hart,  the  matron  and  a  real  mother  to 
the  little  ones,  as  they  loved  to  call  her,  told  me 
that  the  children  one  day  asked  her  if  they  too 
might  have  a  prayer-meeting.  She  said  they 
might ;  they  gathered  in  the  play-room,  and  as 
they  knelt,  she  said,  now  we  will  first  have  a  sea- 
son of  silent  prayer.  In  a  few  moments,  she  said, 
a  little  girl  eleven  or  twelve  years  old,  broke  out 
in  supplication,  stifled  with  sobs  and  tears,  for 
her  father,  that  the  Lord  would  save  and  make  a 
sober  man  of  him.  Then  there  was  silence  again, 
and  next  a  little  colored  boy  eight  years  old  broke 
forth  for  his  father ;  he  would  choke  and  break 
down,  then  go  on  again.  And  so  the  Orphan's 
Crusade  prayer-meeting  went  on.  It  was  not 
long  till  a  man  came  to  the  Home  to  take  away 
two  of  the  little  ones.  He  had  been  a  very  in- 
temperate man,  so  much  so  that  his  wife  had 
been  obliged  to  bring  her  children  to  the  Home 
and  seek  employment  for  herself  as  a  servant,  to 
obtain  food  and  shelter.  But  the  dear  Crusaders 
had  got  hold  of  the  man  and  induced  him  to 
sign  the  pledge.  And  when  he  came  to  him- 
self, he  sought  out  his  wife  and  besought  her  to 
live  with  him  again.  Dr.  Hart,  with  whom  she 
was  living,  in  order  to  encourage  the  man  and  to 
keep  watchful  guard  over  him,  gave  them  rooms 
in  his  own  house.  There  they  again  set  up  their 


MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE.  285 

lousehold  gods,  brought  their  little  ones  home, 
and  were  once  more  a  united,  happy  family. 
About  the  same  time  a  poor  inebriate,  whose 
wife  was  dead  and  his  five  children  in  the  Home, 
came  to  see  them.  His  children  gathered  about 
him  and  began  to  plead,  "  Father,  sign  the 
pledge,"  "father,  sign  the  pledge, "  " Oh, father, 
please  sign  the  pledge. "  The  youngest  was  not 
able  to  talk,  but  it  joined  the  rest,  clapping  its 
little  hands,  and  with  pleading,  inarticulate  sounds 
besought  father  to  sign  the  pledge.  It  was  more 
than  the  poor,  broken  father  could  stand,  but  he 
made  excuse  that  he  could  not  write  his  name. 
"  Oh,"  they  cried,  "  Mother  Hart  will  write  your 
name.  Mother  Hart  will  write  your  name,"  and 
she  did. 

Who  would  like  to  persuade  those  little  ones 
that  they  were  mistaken,  that  God  does  not  hear 
even  the  cry  of  a  little  child  ?  Those  children 
learned  a  lesson  of  faith  in  prayer  that  will  never 
be  forgotten. 

I  reached  home  on  Friday  evening,  March 
2  ist,  and  hastened  upon  Saturday  morning  to 
learn  what  news  of  the  battle.  On  Market  street 
a  gentleman  came  hurrying  along  and  asked  me 
if  I  wasn't  going  to  the  "  liquor  pouring."  "Is 
there  a  surrender?"  "Yes,  around  on  Main 
street."  I  fell  into  line  on  "double  quick." 
When  I  arrived  upon  the  scene,  the  sisters  and 
everybody  else  were  there.  Mrs.  Kinney,  Mrs. 
Mast,  and  others  were  making  lively  work  in 
that  saloon.  And  amid  great  rejoicing  the  bot- 


286  MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE. 

ties,  flasks,  jugs  and  casks  were  brought  out 
and  hurled  into  the  ditch.  One  bottle,  however, 
my  Brother  Spring  rescued  from  destruction, 
and  presented  me  as  a  souvenir.  There  it  is  in 
my  collection  of  trophies  of  "  the  war. "  The 
street  was  full  of  people,  and  how  the  anthem 
swelled  up, 

"  All  hail  the  power  of  Jesus'  name." 

My  pulpit,  an  empty  beer-cask,  being  just  in 
place,  I  was  helped  up  onto  it  and  proceeded  to 
address  the  crowd.  (I  met  a  gentleman  in  Nash- 
ville, Term.,  the  other  day,  who  said  he  was  in 
our  city  at  the  time,  and  present  at  the  liquor- 
pouring,  and  reminded  me  that  as  I  stepped  onto 
the  cask  I  remarked,  "  We  had  the  enemy  under 
our  feet,"  but  he  added,  "  he  is  not  yet  quite 
under."  Sad  is  the  pity.)  As  I  stood  there,  I 
looked  down  and  saw  the  little,  timid  minister's 
wife  I  have  spoken  of  before,  standing  near,  sing- 
ing and  clapping  her  hands,  apparently  oblivious 
to  all  earthly  surroundings,  while  her  face  shone 
like  that  of  an  angel.  Sister  Hammahas  long  since 
become  an  active  and  very  efficient  laborer  in  the 
missionary  and  other  benevolent  works  of  her 
church.  That  holy  baptism  of  the  Christian  women 
is  still  bearing  fruit  in  all  the  churches  ;  and  the 
healing  streams  from  that  Crusade  fountain  are 
flowi.  g  around  the  world.  It  is  proper  to  say, be- 
fore leaving  the  subject,  that  the  woman  who  had 
surrendered  w  is  liberally  helped  to  bear  the  loss 
of  her  liquors  by  a  large  contribution. 

I  have  frequently  spoken  of  the  interest  the 


MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

children  everywhere  took  in  the  Crusade.  In 
our  city  this  was  especially  the  case.  The  boys 
were  always  on  hand,  often  acting  as  volunteer 
scouts  to  go  forward  and  explore,  and  bring  back 
information  of  the  situation.  I  called  them  my 
body-guard,  and  I  believe  if  the  saloon  keepers 
had  attempted  to  molest  me — of  which  I  was  in 
no  fear — the  boys  would  have  fought  my  battle 
for  me. 

Some  of  the  young  ladies  had  organized  a  band 
of  little  girls  and  taught  them  to  sing  appropriate 
pieces,  and  would  lead  them  out  to  visit  the 
saloons  on  Saturday  afternoons.  On  this  Satur- 
day I  led  them  ;  we  visited  several  places,  and  it 
was  a  touching  sight  to  the  throng  of  people 
gathered  to  see  and  hear  them.  The  people 
from  all  over  the  county  were  in  the  habit  of 
coming  in  on  Saturdays  to  witness  the  Crusade. 
What  wonder  that  many  a  stalwart  farmer,  as  he 
looked  upon  the  women  kneeling  on  the  curb- 
stone, praying  to  God  to  soften  and  change  the 
saloon-keeper's  heart  and  make  him  give  up  his 
business,  were  often  wrought  up  to  a  high  degree 
of  excitement.  And  seeing  those  little  things 
standing  there,  more  than  one  knowing  from 
bitter  experience  what  it  meant,  sing 


Father,  dear  father,  come  home," 


or, 


44  Pray,   mister  saloon-keeper,  has  father  been  here?" 

was  it  surprising  that  as  he   furtively  brushed 
away  the  tears  he  would  exclaim:   "Seems  to 


288  MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE. 

me  it  would  relieve  a  fellow's  feelings  a  good 
deal  to  go  in  and  clean  'em  out!" 

A  little  later  on,  a  Children's  Association  was 
formed  under  the  leadership  of  Mrs.  Guy,  our 
Secretary,  the  more  to  interest  the  children  and 
teach  them  to  hate  and  shun  the  drink  as  their 
deadliest  enemy.  They  met  on  Saturday  morn- 
ings. To  one  of  these  meetings  came  a  wee  bit  of 
a  boy,  in  dress  and  long  curls — Forest  Lehman 
— with  a  penny  to  give  to  Mother  Stewart,  and 
with  a  little  speech,  expressing  his  idea  of  the 
cruelty  of  the  saloon-keepers,  that  made  it  neces" 
sary  for  such  aged  women  as  Mother  Stewart  to 
go  out  against  them.  A  gentleman  held  him  up 
in  his  arms  as  he  made  his  little  speech. 

That  penny  is  among  my  richest  treasures,  and 
that  jpaby  boy  is  growing  up  to  a  sober  young 
manhood. 

It  was  becoming  apparent  that  most  of  the 
liquor-sellers  who  could  be  reached  by  persuasion 
and  prayer,  had  now  yielded.  The  next  thing 
to  be  done  was  to  prevent  all  we  could  from 
going  into  the  saloon,  and  save  as  many  who 
were  drinking  as  possible,  and  so  the  form  of 
work  called  "picketing"  was  inaugurated,  and 
women  all  over  the  State  were  seen  in  twos,  or 
possibly  more,  standing  or  sitting,  or  more  likely 
pacing  to  and  fro  in  the  bleak  wind  or  rain  or 
snow,  with  paper  and  pencil  in  hand,  soliciting 
signers  to  the  pledge,  or  taking  the  names  of 
any  who  had  the  hardihood  to  pass  them  into 
the  saloon  for  their  drinks.  It  took  a  man  of  a 


MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE.       289 

good  deal  of  courage,  if  he  had  any  self-respect, 
to  pass  those  ladies  and  get  his  drink.  Many  a 
man  was  persuaded  to  sign  the  pledge,  and 
turned  away  henceforth  to  live  a  sober  life. 
Often  the  pickets  would  be  out  by  the  early 
dawn,  and  many  a  thirsty  fellow  who  hastened 
as  soon  as  he  was  up  to  wet  his  parched  throat 
was  greatly  astonished  to  find  the  picket  guards 
quietly  waiting  for  him.  One  such  in  our  city 
scurried  off  to  a  rather  small  concern  near  the 
Market  street  bridge,  thinking  to  get  his  morn- 
ing glass  unobserved.  Great  was  -his  astonish- 
ment upon  coming  up  to  the  back  door  to  find 
himself  face  to  face  with  the  ladies,  who  were 
personal  acquaintances.  There  was  no  retreat  for 
him.  He  burst  into  a  laugh,  drew  out  a  dollar 
from  his  pocket,  handed  it  to  the  ladies  "for 
the  cause,"  and  left  with  quite  as  quick  a  step  as 
he  came.  The  sentinels  would  keep  their  posts 
until  relieved  by  a  relay.  Often  men,  touched  by 
the  sight  of  such  patient  endurance,  would  hasten 
away  and  bring  warm  boards  or  bricks  for  their 
feet,  or  lay  down  bits  of  carpet,  or  bring  shawls 
and  robes  to  wrap  them  in,  and  in  the  rain  or 
snow  stand  and  hold  an  umbrella  over  them. 
Some  good  lady  would  send  them  a  cup  of  coffee 
and  a  hot  roll.  It  was  not  uncommon  for  several 
to  go  out  together  in  the  evening  and  remain 
quite  late,  guarding  places  where  young  men 
were  accustomed  to  meet  for  their  nightly  drink- 
ing, billiards,  or  card-playing.  From  a  lady  in 
one  town  I  received  a  note  saying,  "  It  is  night ; 

(19) 


29O  MEMORIES  OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

I  am  sitting  here  in  front  of 's  saloon,  the 

last  in  the  town,"  and  as  she  finished  her  letter 
she  wrote,  "There,  it  is  midnight,  and  I  have 
for  the  first  time  seen 's  saloon  closed." 

A  good  many  have  criticised  our  picket  work 
rather  severely,  saying  it  exasperated  the  saloon 
men,  but  as  I  have  said,  it  was  becoming  mani- 
fest that  about  all  whose  hearts  had  not  been 
made  impervious  by  their  business  had  yielded. 
Now  the  question  was  to  save  as  many  of  their 
victims  as  possible.  It  required  even  more  self- 
sacrifice  to  keep  guard  by  the  door  of  one  of 
these  places  alone,  or  with  one  or  two  com- 
panions, than  to  march  with  the  band;  there 
was  also  more  exposure  and  weariness  in  remain- 
ing at  their  post  one,  two,  or  may  be  three  hours 
at  a  time,  than  in  the  band  visiting. 

My  Sister  Phillips  has  just  given  me  this  :  She 
and  another  sister  were  on  duty  before  a  saloon 
for  the  noon  hour,  when  a  company  of  near  a 
dozen  men  came  hurrying  up  to  get  their  mug 
of  beer  on  their  way  from  the  shop,  but  halted 
when  they  saw  the  ladies.  Mrs.  Phillips  opened 
her  Bible  and  commenced  reading.  Some  of 
the  more  thirsty  concluded  they  would  just  have 
to  slip  past  her  and  get  their  drinks ;  but  as  she 
read  she  slowly  paced  to  and  fro  before  the  door. 
One  became  interested  in  the  reading  and  insisted 
upon  the  others  coming  near  to  hear  it.  And 
thus  she  promenaded  and  read  chapter  after 
chapter  till  the  men  discovered  they  had  only 
time  to  get  their  dinners,  and  hurried  away. 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

Considering  the  wonderful  results  of  the  prayer 
method,  it  was  not  surprising  that  many  were 
growing  a  little  fanatical  and  disposed  to  treat 
with  contempt  anything  in  the  line  of  law.  But 
without  the  abatement  of  a  jot  of  the  power  of 
prayer  and  the  influence  of  the  Crusade  in 
awakening  and  enlisting  thousands  in  the  cause, 
yet  withall  there  was  need  of  constant  watchful- 
ness, thesoundest  of  judgment,  and  the  appliance 
of  all  methods  to  insure  a  victory  over  such  a 
wily  foe. 

I  had  foreseen  that  while  the  brethren  were 
all  absorbed  and  expectant  of  a  victory  through 
our  prayers,  the  saloon  men  would,  by  their 
political  intrigue,  get  their  friends  into  office  and 
defy  us.  This  had  caused  me  much  anxiety, 
and  as  I  came  and  went  I  rang  the  changes  on 
the  notes  of  warning  to  the  brethren  at  home 
and  elsewhere,  urging  them  to  prepare  in  time, 
and  watch  with  vigilance,  or  the  liquor  men 
would  beat  them  at  the  polls.  At  length  our 
Advisory  Committee  at  home  passed  a  resolu- 
tion requesting  me  to  remain  at  home  and  help 
them  work  up  the  public  sentiment  for  the  com- 
ing election.  I  accordingly  recalled  a  series  of 
engagements  and  went  to  work. 

There  is  no  abatement  of  zeal  on  the  part  of 
the  women  nor  of  excitement  throughout  the 
country  over  the  "Women's  Whisky  War." 
The  papers  are  teeming  with  accounts, — whole 
pages  given  to  the  reports  of  mass-meetings, 
organizations,  bands  moving  out,  surrenders, 


292  MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADK. 

liquor-pourings,  closing  out, — sixty,  seventy, 
nearly  a  hundred  telegrams  in  a  day  from  as 
many  different  places;  no  place  so  hardened 
that  the  Crusade  cannot  reach  it,  and  no  place 
so  given  over  to  drunkenness  and  its  accompany- 
ing vices  but  was  greatly  blessed,  even  though 
the  saloons  might  not  all  be  closed.  It  looked 
as  if  we  were  going  to  take  the  world. 

I  remember  as  I  stood  in  our  prayer-meeting 
one  morning,  the  news  coming  in  from  various 
quarters  of  the  glorious  work,  a  telegram  came : 
"Gallipolis  has  organized,  and  the  women  are 
marching."  "Even  Gallipolis!"  I  exclaimed; 
"Is  it  possible  that  old,  French  river  town  can 
be  moved  ?  Then  certainly  Springfield,  or  any 
other  place,  might  have  hope."  It  was  even  so, 
for  there,  too,  were  found  men  and  women  of 
piety  and  determination,  who  only  needed  some 
intimation  of  a  way  to  combat  the  curse  that 
held  such  undisputed  sway  in  their  town — a 
way  they  never  had  heard  of,  and  with  enthu- 
siasm they  grasped  at  it. 

Among  the  ladies  here  I  recall  Miss  Maxon, 
Mrs.  Wilson,  Mrs.  Aleshire,  and  Miss  Shallcross, 
and  they  were  sustained  by  a  corps  of  good, 
strong  men. 


HAPTER 


Story  of  tlie  White  Hyacinth. 


THE  time  for  election  drew  near,  our 
men  went  to  work  in  dead  earnest.  A 
call  for  a  temperance  mass-meeting  to 
be  held  in  Black's  Opera  House,  was  signed  by 
the  mechanics  and  working  men  of  the  city,  their 
names  filling  two  newspaper  columns.  The  men 
pledged  themselves  to  be  present  and  to  do  all 
they  could  to  secure  a  full  attendance.  A  request 
also  came  from  the  colored  voters  for  a  meeting 
in  Black's  Opera  House  for  their  benefit,  before 
election. 

And  still  the  calls  are  coming  for  help ;  my 
correspondence  has  become  a  heavy  task,  and 
my  telegrams  amount  to  dollars  per  day.  I 
must  pause  here  and  make  an  apology,  or  an 
explanation  to  some  of  the  dear  friends  who  felt 
aggrieved  because  I  paid  no  attention  to  their 
calls,  — sometimes  being  repeated.  This  was  the 
case  with  Zanesville,  Steubenville,  London, 
West  Liberty,  and  I  think  some  others.  These 
calls  came  in  my  absence,  and  for  some  reason 
would  not  reach  me  till  it  would  be  too  late  for 
me  to  respond.  I  can  only  say  I  was  in  no  way 

293 


294  MEMORIES  OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

responsible,  and  that  it  was  a  source  of  much 
regret.  Iknow  very  well  that  audiences  dislike 
to  be  disappointed,  and  that  it  weakens  confi- 
dence in  public  speakers.  When  it  has  depended 
upon  myself  I  have  never  failed  to  meet  my 
engagements,  and  never  disappointed  an  audi- 
ence,— unless  prevented  by  illness,  and  then 
very  rarely — though  often  to  meet  my  engage- 
ments I  have  made  long,  night  journeys,  endured 
great  fatigue,  and  stood  before  my  audiences 
when  only  the  oblivion  to  self  caused  by  absorp- 
tion in  my  theme,  sustained  me. 

Matters  at  home  were  coming  to  a  white  heat. 
I  felt  that  I  was  not  needed,  and  that  in  many 
places  the  brethren  were  not  thinking  of  the 
jeopardy  that  threatened  them, — as  some  told 
me  after  election,  "  We  did  not  think  about  the 
election  " — so  I  set  out  again. 

Having  to  wait  a  few  hours  at  Morrow,  the 
friends  invited  me  to  come  to  their  meeting  and 
address  them.  I  went,  and  gave  them  what  was 
on  my  heart,  as  to  the  coming  opportunity  for 
our  friends  or  foes,  whichever  should  make  the 
best  use  of  it.  While  I  noticed  that  a  few 
demurred  at  anything  but  prayer,  the  majority 
seemed  to  grasp  the  thought.  One  gentleman 
endorsed  me  warmly,  saying  he  was  sure  I  was 
right.  He  had  overheard  a  conversation  recently 
on  the  train  among  a  party  of  the  fraternity; 
they  were  saying  the  Crusaders  had  nearly  scared 
them  out  of  their  boots;  but  *' a  reaction  was 
coming!  a  reaction  was  coming!"  Some  of  these 


MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

brethren — who  were  from  other  places — insisted 
upon  my  going  to  their  towns  to  help  awaken 
the  voters,  but  my  time  was  taken  up,  and  I 
sped  on  my  way  and — fell  among  friends,  who 
made  a  grave  mistake,  or  it  would  have  proved 
so  if  I  had  not  swallowed  down  the  insult  for 
the  sake  of  the  cause  for  which  I  was  almost 
ready  to  lay  down  my  life.  This  was  the  first 
deep  wound  I  received  in  my  work.  It  caused 
me  much  alarm,  too,  lest  the  liquor  men  would 
get  hold  of  it  and  use  it  against  us.  From  only 
one  other  place,  which  even  exceeded  this,  have 
I  received  uncivil  or  unkind  treatment.  A  few 
individuals  have  been  able  on  occasions  to  cause 
me  great  suffering,  but  from  the  hundreds  every- 
where I  have  had  only  love  and  kindness,  and 
their  love  is  buried  deep  in  my  heart  of  hearts, 
and  will  there  abide  for  aye.  But  they  can  never 
know  what  rest  and  inspiration  and  hope  they 
gave  me,  nor  how  much  better  I  was  able  to 
work  and  endure  because  of  it. 

I  reached  the  place  in  the  afternoon,  and  found 
the  ladies,  with  a  large  crowd  of  men,  women, 
and  children,  at  the  depot  awaiting  my  arrival. 
There  was  a  saloon  near,  and  the  ladies  insisted 
upon  my  addressing  the  crowd  in  front  of  it.  I, 
as  everywhere,  endeavored  to  do  everything  the 
friends  asked  of  me,  though  weary  from  my  long 
ride,  and  was  expected  to  address  two  other 
meetings — being  helped  onto  a  beer-cask  I  pro- 
ceeded to  address  the  crowd,  a  large  number  of 
whom  I  saw  were  voters.  I  exhorted  them  to 


296  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

see  to  it  that  they  put  in  nomination  good  and 
true  men  to  be  voted  for  at  the  approaching 
election ;  to  stand  for  the  right,  as  true  and  loyal 
citizens  of  this  great  Republic,  etc.  I  do  not 
remember  much,  however,  that  I  did  say,  but  it 
was  in  that  vein.  I  then  proceeded  with  the 
ladies  to  their  afternoon  meeting  and  addressed 
them.  But  I  perceived  something  uncanny  in 
the  atmosphere  and  was  sorely  perplexed,  but 
unable  to  account  for  it. 

At  the  close  I  was  driven  to  Mr.  D —  — 's, 
where  I  was  very  kindly  entertained.  But  a 
little  before  time  to  go  to  the  evening  meeting, 
two  ladies  called,  and  one  proceeded  in  very 
decided  tones  to  inform  me  that  they  could  not 
have  any  party  politics  brought  into  their  work,— 
it  would  break  it  up,  for  they  had  Democrats 
as  well  as  Republicans  among  them.  The  lady 
with  her  was  a  Democrat.  ( I  have  been  amused 
to  notice  that  women  are  as  strong  partisan 
politicians  as  men,  though  spurning  with  scorn 
the  imputation  of  "meddling  with  politics.") 
This  lady,  to  whom  my  catechiser  seemed  to 
pay  so  much  deference,  she  assured  me,  ' '  would 
certainly  leave  them  if  anything  of  the  kind  was 
brought  in,  and  they  could  not  get  along  with- 
out her,"  and  much  more  of  the  same  sort.  I 
was  of  course  shocked  at  such  an  attack,  and 
greatly  puzzled  to  know  what  in  the  world  I  had 
said  or  done  to  give  such  umbrage.  What  could 
it  be  that  could  warrant  such  discourteous  treat- 
ment? Upon  asking  an  explanation,  she 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

declared  that  I  had  urged  the  voters  to  vote  the 
Republican  ticket  at  the  approaching  election. 
I  tried  to  say  she  was  very  much  mistaken,  but 
oh,  no  !  she  would  not  hear  me ; — I  had  said 
what  she  charged !  I  held  my  peace,  but  saw 
with  sadness  that  they  had  ruined  me  for  the 
evening's  lecture. 

The  ladies  had  hardly  left  when  a  gentleman 
called  and  informed  me  that  he  was  President  of 
the  Women's  League,  and  that  he  wished  to 
inform  me  that  they  could  not  have  anything 
like  party  politics  brought  in  ;  they  were  of  both 
parties.  I  said  I  had  not  said  one  word  about 
parties.  "Oh,  yes,  I  had;  his  hired  girl  was 
present  and  heard  me,  and  they  could  not  con- 
sent to  my  speaking  if  I  proposed  to  say  any- 
thing more  of  the  kind  !"  I  felt  myself  thor- 
oughly insulted.  I  could  not  remember  that  I 
had  even  used  the  expression  "this  grand 
Republic,"  till  some  one  recalled  it  to  my  mind. 
He  insisted  upon  my  promising  not  to  offend 
any  further,  as  the  condition  of  my  addressing 
the  meeting.  I  sat  there  silently  struggling 
between  my  sense  of  self-respect  and  the  inevit- 
able disaster  to  the  cause,  if  this  should  reach 
the  ears  of  the  enemy. 

It  was  growing  late,  and  I  had  not  yet  settled 
with  myself  whether  I  could  crush  down  my 
personal  feeling  and  go  to  the  church,  when  a 
couple  of  the  ministers  called  for  me.  They  had 
become- uneasy  and  the  audience  was  growing 
impatient.  I  conquered  self  for  the  sake  of  my 


298  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

cause,  and  went  with  the  ministers.  And  I  did 
the  very  best  I  could ;  but  who  can  conceive 
what  distress  I  felt,  and  how  hard  the  effort  to 
give  those  people  what  would  be  a  benefit  to 
them,  and  yet  not  incur  their  further  displeasure. 
I  could  not  tell  what  would  or  would  not  offend. 
I  was,  too,  by  this  time,  getting  a  little  into 
Topsy's  mood,  "so  wicked,"  and  turning  to  the 
gentlemanly  President,  I,  with  demure  and  sub- 
dued "demeanor,"  as  Samantha  Allen  would 
say,  asked  his  permission  to  say  something  I  felt 
very  necessary  to  be  said.  He  very  graciously 
gave  his  consent,  and  I  thanked  him  for  the 
privilege.  I  could  not  make  out  whether  he  saw 
the  point  or  not — rather  thought  he  did  not. 

When  I  had  finished  he  thanked  me  for  my 
"excellent  address,"  as  he  patronizingly  called 
it.  I  had  no  word  of  reply,  but  I  thought,  "You 
little  know  how  much  better  I  could  have  done 
for  you  if  you  had  not  so  deliberately  insulted 
me." 

I  do  wonder  if  any  other  lecturer  ever  had 
this  kind  of  experience.  I  have  been  told  since 
that  Horace  Greeley  was,  in  the  days  of  slavery 
agitation,  called  upon  by  the  lecture  committee 
of  a  certain  town  where  he  had  been  called  to 
lecture,  and  instructed  that  he  must  not  touch 
the  slave  question  there.  This  was  a  little  com- 
fort to  me,  on  the  principle  that  "misery  loves 
company. "  If  those  good  friends  have  paid  any 
attention  to  my  position  as  to  political  parties, 
they  have  long  since  seen  the  blunder  they  made, 


MEMORIES   OF   THE    CRUSADE.  299 

but  they  have  not  had  the  manliness  or  womanli- 
ness to  acknowledge  it.  The  dullness  of  some 
persons  is  often  amazing,  sometimes  amusing 
and  sometimes  not  a  little  vexatious.  I  have 
learned,  now  and  then,  that  some  bright-idead 
man  would  declare  that  I  was  a  Democrat,  and 
hired  by  that  party ;  and  again  a  specially  sharp 
man  would  express  himself  as  convinced  that  I 
was  employed  by  the  Republicans.  If  such  be 
the  case,  both  parties  have  proved  to  be  very 
poor  paymasters,  and  I  have  some  heavy  out 
standing  claims.  I  have  not  as  yet  received  a  cent, 
and  I  hereby  notify  whomsoever  it  may  concern, 
to  call  and  settle,  for  I  need  the  money  awfully. 
I  was  really  glad  to  hasten  on,  next  morning, 
and  pick  up  heart  as  well  as  I  could  for  my  next 
appointment,  which  was  Somerset,  where  I 
met  a  warm  reception.  I  addressed  a  mass- 
meeting  that  night;  next  morning  met  the  ladies, 
organized  and  led  them  out.  They  gave  me  to 
march  by  my  side  the  most  venerable  lady  in 
the  place — a  woman  of  sincere  piety  and  beloved 
by  all.  She  was  so  affected  that  she  could 
scarcely  stand,  and  I  begged  her  to  stop  at  a 
house  till  we  returned,  and  then  join  us  again. 
But  oh,  no  !  she  insisted  upon  going  with  her 
sisters,  though  she  trembled  at  every  step.  I 
noticed  that  the  saloon-keepers'  respect  for  her 
was  such  that  her  presence  and  her  kind  words, 
as  she  addressed  them  as  neighbors  and  friends, 
shamed  them.  I  was  much  surprised  and  rejoiced 
upon  returning  to  this  town  in  our  ' '  amendment 


3OO  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

campaign,"  to  find  this  venerable  saint,  whom  I 
presumed  had  long  since  put  off  the  mortal  and 
gone  up,  still  witnessing  a  good  profession  for 
Jesus. 

Before  going  to  the  meeting  that  morning,  my 
hostess  told  me  she  had  a  great  sorrow  on  her 
heart,  that  she  had  never  trusted  to  her  lips 
before.  But  she  felt  it  might  be  a  benefit  to  the 
cause  to  tell  it  to  me ;  and  so  she  told  of  her 
brave  and  beloved  brother,  who  had  fought  so 
gallantly  in  the  service  of  his  country, — had 
never  drank  till  coming  home  he  was  made  much 
of,  and  invited  by  convivial  companions  to  join 
them  in  their  social  gatherings,  the  taste  was 
acquired  and  he  became  a  confirmed  inebriate. 
His  property  went,  and  yet  he  went  on  down. 
'  'Often, "  said  she,  '  'did  my  husband  and  I  watch 
him  home  on  the  cold  winter  nights,  lest  he 
would  fall  by  the  way  and  freeze  to  death. "  Yet 
he  was  so  high-strung  and  sensitive  that  they 
dared  not  let  him  know  they  did.  He  became 
despondent,  and  hinted  at  self-destruction,  in 
despair  of  ever  overcoming  his  appetite.  And 
still  the  liquor  men  sold  him  the  soul-destroying 
poison.  He  had  now  become  such  a  slave  to 
his  consuming  thirst  that  he  took  the  wood  his 
little  boys  had  managed  to  cut, — little  fellows 
eight  and  ten  years  old,  with  which  to  buy  some 
school-books — hauled  it  to  town  and  sold  it  for 
rum  to  slake  the  insatiable  thirst.  But  the  end 
came.  Returning  one  night  from  town  very 
much  under  the  influence  of  liquor,  he  went  to 


MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE.  JO  I 

the  cupboard  and  seizing  the  laudanum  bottle 
drained  it.  Soon  becoming  crazed  he  tried  to 
shoot  his  wife  and  children,  then  drove  them 
out  into  the  snow  and  cold  of  that  bitter  January 
night,  the  wretched  wife  on  the  eve  of  confine- 
ment. And  there  they  had  to  cower  till  one  of 
the  little  boys  ran  a  half-mile  to  the  nearest 
neighbor  and  brought  help.  The  men  obtained 
an  entrance,  and  overcoming  the  poor  maniac, 
bound  him  onto  the  bed.  It  was  not  long  till 
he  fell  into  the  deadly  slumber  from  which  there 
was  no  awakening.  Thus  miserably  perished 

the  once  gallant  Major  B .     The  neighbors 

came  to  the  assistance  of  the  bereaved  and  desti- 
tute family ;  the  ladies  furnished  the  children 
with  clothing  so  they  could  go  to  Sabbath- 
School.  And  when  the  Sabbath  came  they  pre- 
pared to  go,  but  the  eldest,  little  more  than  a 
child,  burst  into  tears  and  turning  to  his  mother, 
exclaimed:  "Oh,  mother!  I  cannot,  I  cannot 
go; — I  am  a  drunkard's  child  !"  Is  it  possible 
for  the  world  ever  to  know  what  the  drunkard's 
children  suffer  in  shame  and  mortification,  even 
before  they  are  able  to  express  it  in  words  ?  The 
silent  pondering  of  their  little,  burdened  minds 
over  it ;  why  they  can  not  have  nice,  comfortable 
homes,  clothes,  nice  food,  and  happy  times,  like 
other  children,  and  why  their  mamma  is  so  sad 
and  cries  so  much,  and  why  their  papa  is  not 
nice  and  manly,  and  does  not  love  them  like 
other  men  do  their  children. 

Oh !  I  cannot  bear  it !     Will  not  the  people 
ever  hear  the  cry  of  these  helpless  innocents? 


302  MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE. 

My  friend  went  on  while  she  pointed  to  a  place 
across  the  street.  "That  man,"  said  she, 
"  whom  we  prosecuted  for  the  murder  of  my 
brother,  swore  in  court  that  he  had  not  sold  him 
a  glass  of  liquor  in  a  year,  though  it  was  proven 
that  he  sold  him  the  liquor  that  caused  his  death. 
Oh,"  she  exclaimed,  "I  cannot  go  into  that 
place  ;  I  cannot  pray  for  that  man  !"  And  yet 
that  grief-stricken  sister  did  find  strength  not 
only  to  go  with  us  into  that  man's  place,  but  to 
kneel  there  and  pray  for  him !  Oh,  boundless 
grace  ! 

We  were  becoming  impressed  with  the  fact 
that  we  must  look  beyond  the  present  methods 
for  extending  and  perpetuating  our  work,  for  to 
the  most  sanguine  and  enthusiastic  it  was  be- 
coming evident  that  we  had  entered  upon  a  long 
and  bitter  struggle.  It  would  be  wisdom  to 
organize  and  train  all  the  forces  we  could  enlist 
for  the  war,  though  it  might  be  for  years  or  a 
lifetime. 

The  ladies  of  our  Executive  Committee,  upon 
consultation,  decided  to  call  a  County  Conven- 
tion, to  be  held  in  Black's  Opera  House  on  the 
3rd  of  April.  When  the  day  arrived,  having 
previously  requested  the  ladies  to  assemble  at 
our  headquarters,  we  there  formed  in  procession, 
five  hundred  strong,  and  marched  to  the  Opera 
House, — a  solemn,  affecting  sight.  There  was 
a  large  delegation  from  the  county — a  crowded 
house,  and  the  same  enthusiasm  characterized 
this  that  had  been  manifested  at  our  first  mass- 


MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE.  303 

meeting  at  the   opening  of  the  campaign   five 
months  previous. 

Looking  over  the  old  file  of  papers  of  those 
days,  I  see  that  Captain  Perry  Stewart,  who  had 
in  the  other  war  done  valiant  service  for  his 
country,  was  made  Chairman  of  the  meeting, 
and  Mr.  C.  M.  Nichols  and  Rev.  J.  W.  Spring, 
Secretaries.  Stirring  speeches  were  made  by 
General  Keifer,  since  Speaker  of  the  House  in 
Congress,  S.  Bowman,  Esq.,  A.  R,  Ludlow, D.S. 
Morrow  and  other  prominent  business  men,  as 
well  as  ministers  and  ladies.  A  county  organiza- 
tion was  effected,  with  Mother  Stewart  President, 
Mr.  Wm.  Barnett  and  Mrs.  S.  W.  Cathcart, 
Vice-Presidents  for  the  city,  with  one  gentleman 
and  one  lady  for  each  township.  The  duty  of 
these  township  Vice- Presidents  was  to  act  as 
President  of  their  respective  townships,  organize 
and  superintend  the  work  in  the  same.  Mrs.  J. 
A.  S.  Guy  was  made  Secretary  and  Captain  P. 
Stewart  Treasurer.  Thus  was  formed  the  first 
county  organization  in  our  State ;  Madison 
county,  in  our  district,  being  the  next.  We  held 
meetings  once  in  three  months  in  different  parts 
of  the  county,  where  we  reported  the  progress 
of  the  work  and  encouraged  each  other  to  con- 
tinuance and  steadfastness  in  our  labors. 

Now  the  time  for  our  Spring  election  had 
come,  and  for  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  our 
city  all  minor  interests  were  merged  in  this  all- 
absorbing  one  of  the  temperance  question.  The 
nominations  were  made  with  reference  to  this 


3O4  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

question  alone.  Of  course  the  liquor  men  were 
becoming  desperate.  They  had  always  in  the 
past  been  more  watchful  of  their  interests  than 
had  the  Christian  people  of  theirs.  And  so  it 
was  when  our  work  opened  up,  as  has  already 
been  stated,  we  found  a  distiller,  a  brewer,  and 
several  of  their  sympathizers,  composing  our  city 
council,  and  the  same  in  kind  in  the  minor 
offices. 

But  the  better  class  of  citizens  were  coming  to 
•  see  where  they  had  made  their  mistake,  and  a 
desperate  struggle  was  inaugurated.  The  liquor 
men  finding  their  business  so  damaged  financially 
by  the  Crusaders  and  brought  into  greater  dis- 
repute than  ever  before,  saw  their  chief  hope 
was  to  control  the  election  and  get  men  again 
into  office  who  would  paralyze  all  efforts  towards 
legal  restraint. 

Our  Advisory  Committee  labored  diligently 
to  put  their  forces  into  as  good  shape  as  possible. 
But  some  of  them  had  not  been  trained  in  the 
school  of  election  tactics,  and  it  would  not  have 
fared  so  well  for  us  if  our  staunch  friend,  Wm. 
R.  Calhoun,  former  Chairman  of  the  Republican 
Executive  Committee,  had  not  come  home  from 
Pittsburgh  expressly,  as  he  said,  to  vote  with  the 
lovers  of  law  and  order.  He  fell  to  work,  helping 
with  his  experience  and  might,  till  the  polls  were 
closed  on  Monday  night.  There  is  no  doubt 
that  much  of  the  success  was  due  to  his  energetic 
aid. 

We  had  appointed  another  of  our  "all-day 


MEMORIES  OF  THE   CRUSADE.  305 

prayer-meetings  "  for  election  day,  and  while  the 
men  worked  outside  securing  votes,  we  ceased 
not  to  cry  to  the  Lord  of  our  hosts  to  give  us 
the  victory.  The  brethren  came  in  from  time 
to  time  to  report  the  news  from  the  field.  As  was 
our  custom  for  such  meetings,  the  leaders  were 
changed  each  hour.  I  was  engaged  to  be  at 
Pomeroy  that  week  and  had  to  leave  at  one 
o'clock,  but  took  my  hour  to  lead  from  eleven 
to  twelve  o'clock. 

But  I  was  really  glad  to  get  away  before  the  end, 
for  it  seemed  to  me  I  could  not  bear  a  defeat. 
I  ran  to  the  telegraph  office  and  requested  the 
operator,  Mr.  Parsons,  to  wire  me  at  Pomeroy 
the  result;  I  could  by  that  time  bear  it, 
whatever  it  might  be.  The  excitement  and 
the  voting  and  the  praying  went  on.  The  sun 
went  down,  but  there  was  no  abatement,  and 
the  women  still  waited  before  the  Lord.  At 
length  ten  o'clock  came,  and  the  news  of  the 
result  was  brought  in.  That  house  of  the  Lord 
never  witnessed  such  a  scene  before  nor  since. 
The  men  that  had  worked  so  faithfully  all  day 
came  pouring  in,  and  the  wildest  joy  and  enthu- 
siasm were  manifested.  Oh !  I  don't  know 
what  we  would  have  done  in  those  days  if  we  had 
not  had  that  grand  old  doxology  with  which  to 
give  vent  to  our  emotions.  How  that  vast 
crowd  of  men  anc?  women  did  lift  up  their  voices 
in — 

"  Pra:se  God  from  whom  all  blessings  flow." 

Men  who  had  not  before  participated  in  our  war 

(20) 


MEMORIES    01-    Till-     CKl'SADK. 

on  tin-  whisky  were  swept  away  with  cnthusi.i  n. 
to-day,  and  coming  into  the  meeting  sprain ;  onto 

the  pCWS  anil  made-    riii-im;    speeches.       We  had 

carried  the  city  by  a  majority  of  400.  When  I 
reached  Pomeroy  the  telegram  was  awaiting  me. 
How  can  I  tell  the  joy  and  gratitude  that  filled 
my  heart?  I  have  not  the  words.  But  it  was 
worth  many  a  league  of  travel  in  the  night  time 
and  the  buffeting  storms. 

This  was  thirteen  years  a<M>,  and  today  ('87) 
i s  election  again,  but  it  is  a  very  tame  affair. 
The  liquor  men  are  not  disturbed  over  tin- 
possible  outcome,  for  many  a  man  that  did  vote 
against  them  that  day  now  casts  his  ballot  side- 
by  side  with  them  for  the  same  candidate,  to 
"save  the  party  !" 

I  took  the  train  for  Cincinnati,  thence  by 
steamer  up  the  Ohio  to  Pomeroy.  We  did  not 
arrive  on  Tuesday  evening  as  expected,  but 
early  Wednesday  morning.  The  dear  friend  of 
my  young  girlhood  and  of  a  long  life,  Mrs. 
Paine,  with  Rev.  Mr.  Davies  and  others,  were 
waiting  to  receive  me.  The  other  friends  (?) 
having  won  a  victory  at  the  polls,  and  hearing 
that  I  was  to  be  up  Tuesday  evening  on  the 
1 1  Ohio  No.  4, "  concluded  to  get  out  the  band  and 
to  fire  off  the  cannon  as  a  salute,  "over  the  left." 
They  drew  their  cannon  to  the  brow  of  the 
precipitous  hill  back  of  the  town,  and  fired  their 
salute  about  the  time  I  ought  to  have  been  up, 
but  I  was  not  in  range  or  sound,  and  the  paper, 
in  reporting  the  matter,  got  it  badly  mixed  up, 


MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE.  5  :•; 

and  made  it  read  that  the  temperance  friends 
serenaded  Mother  Stewart  and  fired  a  salute  in 
her  honor.  So  the  saloon-keepers  lost  their 
labor,  their  ammunition  and  their  fun. 

A  precious  time  did  I  have  with  my  Fomeroy 
friends,  as  I  always  do ;  and  the  value  of  their 
love  and  friendship  is  above  that  of  fine  gold. 
Revs.  Mr.  Da  vies,  of  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
and  Frampton,  of  the  M.  E.  Church,  were  the 
ministers,  and  their  competent  and  pious  wives, 
with  others  equally  as  efficient,  were  laboring  faith- 
fully, but  against  fearful  odds,  there  being  a 
large  number  of  saloons,  and  a  large  population 
of  miners  of  foreign  birth  as  patrons. 

At  Middleport,  two  miles  below,  where  the 
Council  had  passed  the  McConnelsville  Ordi- 
nance upon  petition  of  the  citizens,  the  sisters 
had  but  a  short  experience  of  crusading,  but  the 
enthusiasm  was  still  kept  up  under  the  leader- 
ship of  Mrs.  Fisher,  a  peculiarly  gifted  English 
lady  of  the  Mary  Fletcher  type.  Here  also  a 
host  of  friends  received  me  and  we  had  crowded 
meetings. 

Returning,  I  stopped  at  IrontOn,  and  found 
the  ladies,  under  the  management  of  Mrs.  Rev. 
.hell,  doing  a  grand  work.  We  announced 
a  children's  meeting  for  the  afternoon  before  I 
was  to  leave,  and  the  dear  children  were  all  wild 
with  delight  that  they  were  going  to  have  a 
temperance  meeting  of  their  very  own.  The  little 
Jew  children,  as  gleeful  as  the  rest,  were  clapping 
their  hands  and  saying,  ' '  Oh !  we  are  going  to 


308  MEMORIES  OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

see  Mother  Stewart,  too  !"  But  a  short  time 
before  the  meeting  word  came  that  the  ' '  Fleet- 
wood"  was  crippled  and  would  be  indefinitely 
delayed,  and  in  consequence,  to  meet  my  next 
engagement,  I  had  to  take  the  first  boat  down, 
which  bore  me  away  just  as  the  children  were 
gathering.  It  was  a  real  source  of  sorrow  to 
myself  as  well  as  disappointment  to  the  children, 
and  I  never  ceased  to  feel  sorry  that  the  dear 
boys  and  girls  of  Ironton  were  cheated  out  of 
their  "very  own'*  temperance  meeting. 

It  will  be  beyond  the  limit  of  this  narrative  to 
even  name,  much  as  I  would  like  to  do  so,  the 
more  than  a  hundred  places  to  which  I  was 
called  during  this  wonderful  campaign.  I  must 
content  myself  with  the  mention  only  of  such  as 
will  serve  to  give  the  reader  as  correct  an  idea 
as  possible  of  this  remarkable  women's  move- 
ment, with  such  results  and  incidents  as  may  add 
interest,  and  for  which  I  can  vouch  either  from 
my  own  observation  or  reliable  information. 

Among  the  many  hard  fiel.ds  was  that  of 
Dayton,  where  was  a  large  foreign  element ;  and 
where  the  citizens,  even  a  large  portion  of  the 
church  members,  having  become  indifferent  by 
long  custom  or  through  business  interests 
dominated  by  the  liquor  power,  seemed  not  to 
take  much  interest  in  the  work.  There  were, 
however,  a  brave  few  that  dared,  even  here,  to 
take  up  their  cross  and  go  out  to  this  unequal 
warfare. 

How  my  heart  was  stirred  even  to  pain,   as 


MEMORIES   OF   THE    CRUSADE.  309 

one  day  passing  through  and  having  to  wait  for 
my  train,  I  went  out  to  seek  the  Crusaders. 
I  found  them,  under  the  leadership  of  Mrs. 
Dr.  Herr,  kneeling  on  the  pavement.  They 
were  crying  to  God  to  touch  the  hearts  of  the 
liquor-sellers,  and  make  them  to  see  the  wrong 
they  were  doing  to  their  fellow-men,  and  to  give 
up  their  business  and  turn  to  God,  while  a  large 
crowd  of  rough  and  hardened  men — largely  for- 
eigners— stood  by  making  various  comments.  I 
could  see  there  was  little  soil  there  for  the  seed, 
and  little  hope  for  the  toilers.  And  yet  in  this 
city  was  much  hard  work  done,  persecution  en- 
dured, and  not  a  little  good  accomplished.  One 
of  my  dearest  friends,  Mrs.  'Dr.  Adams,  who  has 
long  since  gone  over  to  her  beautiful  mansion 
on  the  glory  shore,  was,  with  her  husband  and 
family,  in  Dayton  the  winter  of  '73-4,  boarding 
at  the  Phillips  House.  While  she  was  a  lady  of 
advanced  views  in  many  directions,  yet,  when 
she  heard  of  the  peculiar  form  of  work  taken  up 
by  the  women  in  so  many  places,  she  felt  really 
shocked.  "  Certainly,"  said  she,  "  it  cannot  be 
the  duty  of  woman  to  so  work.  I  cannot  give  my 
endorsement  to  anything  so  entirely  out  of  the 
line  of  woman's  work  as  this."  But  one  cold, 
wintry  morning  she  heard  in  strange,  sweet 
measure  float  out  upon  the  air  from  the  saloon 
below — 

"  Rock  of  Ages  cleft  for  me, 
Let  me  hide  myself  in  thee." 

Very  plaintive  to  the  ear  of  that  tender-hearted 


3IO  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

woman  sounded  the  strains  as  they  floated  up 
past  her  toward  the  Throne.  "Ah  !"  said  she, 
"the  Crusaders  are  in  that  dreadful  place." 
After  a  few  moments  reflection,  as  the  cry  again 
arose — 

'•  Nearer  my  God  to  Thee,  nearer  to  Thee, 
E'en  though  it  be  a  cross  that  raiseth  me," 

she  said,  "Well,  if  I  cannot  endorse  the  move- 
ment I  can  at  least  show  those  devoted  women 
my  sympathy,"  and  she  went  down  and  stepped 
into  the  door.  "Oh,"  said  she,  "what  a  sight 
met  my  vision  !  There  were  those  consecrated 
women  on  their  knees  in  that  loathsome  place, 
crying  to  God  to  touch  the  heart  of  that  saloon- 
keeper with  the  ringer  of  His  love  and  pity,  and 
to  save  those  present  from  his  destroying  influ- 
ence. They  prayed  for  the  gray-headed  men, 
the  men  in  the  prime  of  their  manhood,  the 
young  boys  ( for  they  were  all  there ),  who 
through  the  curse  of  drink  were  wasting  their 
precious  time  and  jeopardizing  their  souls.  Oh, 
what  a  sight !  The  room  was  full  of  the  fumes 
of  liquor  and  tobacco,  and  the  drinking  and 
smoking  went  on  as  the  prayer  ascended.  All 
my  prejudice  was  swept  away  in  a  moment.  I 
thought  of  my  own  darling  boy,  just  merging 
into  manhood,  and  dearly  as  I  loved  him  I  felt 
that  I  would  gladly  follow  him  to  the  grave 
rather  than  see  him  come  to  the  condition  of  one 
of  these."  (She  was  a  very  fine  elocutionist). 
As  the  band  arose  from  their  knees  she  com- 
menced repeating: 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

"  No,  comrades,  I  thank  you,  not  any  for  me  ; 
My  last  chain  is  riven,  henceforward  I'm  free! 
I  will  go  to  my  home  and  my  children  to-night, 
With  no  fumes  of  liquor  their  spirits  to  blight, 
And  with  tears  in  my  eyes  I  will  beg  my  poor  wife, 
To  forgive  me  the  wreck  I  have  made  of  her  life. 
I  have  never  refused  you  before !     Let  that  pass, 
For  I  have  drank  my  last  glass,  boys, 
I  have  drank  my  last  glass! 


"Just  look  at  me  now,  boys,  in  rags  rnd  disgrace, 
With  my  bleared,  haggard  eyes,  and  red,  bloated  face  ! 
Mark  my  faltering  step  and  my  wer.k,  palsied  hand, 
And  the  mark  on  my  brow  that  is  worse  than  Cain's  brand  ; 
See  my  crownless  old  hat,  and  my  elbows  and  knees, 
Alike  warmed  by  the  sun  or  chilled  by  the  breeze, 
Why,  even  the  children  will  hoot  as  they  pass, — 

But  I've  drank  my  last  glass,  boys, 

I  have  drank  my  last  glass. 


'You  would  hardly  believe,  to  look  at  me  now, 
That  a  mother's  soft  hand  was  once  pressed  on  my  brow, 
When  she  kissed   me,  and  blessed  me,  her  darling,  her 

pride, 

Ere  she  lay  down  to  rest  by  my  dead  father's  side ; 
But  with  love  in  her  eye,  she  looked  up  to  the  sky, 
Bidding  me  meet  her  there,  and  whispered  "good-bye." 
I  will  do  //,  God  helping  I    Your  smile  I  let  pass, 

For  I've  drank  my  last  glass,  boys, 

I  have  drank  my  last  glass. 


"  Ah  !  I  reeled  home  last  night— it  was  not  very  late, 
For  I'd  spent  my  last  sixpence,  and  landlords  won't  wait 
On  a  fellow  who  's  left  every  cent  in  his  till, 
And  has  pawned  his  last  bed  their  coffers  to  fill. 
Oh!  the  torments  I  felt,  and  the  pangs  I  endured  ; 
And  I  begged  for  one  glass  —just  one  would  have  cured, — 
But  they  kicked  me  out-doors  !     I  let  that,  too,  pass, 

For  I've  drank  my  last  glass,  boys, 

I  have  drank  my  last  glass  ! 


312  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

"At  home  my  pet  Susie,  with  her  soft,  golden  hair, 
I  saw  through  the  window,  just  kneeling  in  prayer, 
From  her  pale,  bony  hands,  her  torn  sleeves  were  strung 

down  ; 
While  her  feet,  cold  and  bare,  shrank  bsneath  her  scant 

gown, 
And  she  prayed — prayed  for  bread,  just  a  poor  crust  of 

bread, 

For  one  crust — on  her  knees,  my  pet  darling  plead, 
And  I  heard,  with  no  penny  to  buy  one,  alas  ! 

But  I've  drank  my  last  glass,  boys, 

I  have  drank  my  last  glass ! 

"For  Susie,  my  darling,  my  wee  six-year-old, 
Though  fainting  with  hunger,  and  shivering  with  coldy 
There  on  the  bare  floor,  asked  God  to  bless  me ; 
And  she  said,  "  Don't  cry,  mamma  !  He  will !  for  you  see, 
\believe  what  I  ask  for!"     Then,   sobered,  I  crept 
Away  from  the  house,  and  that  night  when  I  slept, 
Next  my  heart  lay  the  pledge  !— You  smile  !     Let  it  passr 

But  I've  drank  my  T.st  glass,  boys, 

I  have  drank  my  last  glass ! 

"  My  darling  child  saved  me  !     Her  faith  and  her  love 
Are  akin  to  my  dear,  sainted  mother's  above ! 
I  will  make  her  words  true,  or  I'll  die  in  the  race, 
And  sober  I'll  go  to  my  last  resting  place  ; 
And  she  shall  kneel  there,  and  weeping,  thank  God 
No  drunkard  lies  under  that  daisy-strewn  sod. 
Not  a  drop  more  of  poison  my  lips  shall  ever  pass, 

For  I've  drank  my  last  glass,  boys, 

I  have  drank  my  last  glass." 

Every  eye  of  the  habitues  of  the  saloon,  as 
well  as  of  the  Crusaders,  was  bathed  in  tears.  Her 
husband,  a  man  not  given  to  expression  of  emo- 
tion, stood  leaning  against  the  door  sobbing 
aloud.  As  she  closed  she  dropped  on  her  knees 
and  poured  out  her  soul  in  a  flood  of  eloquent 
appeal  to  the  Throne  of  grace — the  first  time 


MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE.  313 

she  had  ever  heard  her  own  voice  in  audible 
prayer. 

That  night  she  dreamed  some  one  gave  her  a 
white  hyacinth,  and  that  she  sent  it  down  to  the 
saloon-keeper.  At  the  family  breakfast-table 
the  next  morning,  she  caused  quite  a  little 
amusement  by  telling  her  dream. 

But  returning  to  her  room,  what  was  her  sur- 
prise at  seeing  her  white  hyacinth  setting  on  the 
dressing-case!  A  lady  had  sent  it  in  to  her 
daughter  in  acknowledgment  of  some  kindness 
rendered.  "Oh,  Pearlie  !"  she  exclaimed, 
"  there's  my  white  hyacinth.  May  I  send  it 
down?"  "Yes,  mamma,"  said  the  little  girl. 
"So  I  sent  it,"  said  my  friend,  "with  the  request 
that  the  saloon-keeper  would  care  for  the  little 
plant  while  it  remained  in  bloom.  I  thought  it 
would  be  one  object  of  brightness  to  cheer  the 
women  as  they  made  their  daily  visits  to  that 
terrible  place.  It  was  not  long  till  a  young  man 
—as  was  his  custom — came  in  for  his  morning 
glass.  But  as  he  opened  the  door  a  new  and 
strange  odor  for  that  place  came  floating  to  him, 
mingled  with  that  of  the  liquors.  It  arrested  his 
attention,  and  for  a  moment  stayed  his  eager 
footsteps.  It  was  to  that  young  man  as  if  the 
gates  of  memory  had  swung  backward  and 
revealed  a  glimpse  of  home  and  mother  in  an 
atmosphere  laden  with  the  perfume  of  sweet 
flowers  and  song  of  birds.  He  stood  for  a 
moment  transfixed,  then  espying  the  little  vase 
on  the  counter,  he  walked  quietly  forward,  and 


314  MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

stooping  almost  reverently  over  it,  he  smelt  the 
perfume  and  fondled  the  petals,  then  turned  and 
walked  out.  He  told  the  incident  to  a  comrade, 
adding:  "  It  carried  me  back  to  the  dying  bed 
of  my  mother.  My  mother  was  passionately 
fond  of  flowers,  the  hyacinth  especially ;  she 
cultivated  them, — had  them  in  her  room.  As 
she  lay  dying  she  held  a  spray  of  white  hyacinth 
in  her  hand,  and  when  I  looked  for  the  last  time 
upon  her  pale,  sweet  face,  as  she  lay  in  her 
casket  ready  to  be  carried  from  my  sight  forever, 
she  still  held  a  spray  of  white  hyacinth  in  her 
hand.  I  could  no  more  have  drank  a  glass  of 
liquor  there  than  in  the  presence  of  my  dead 
mother." 


CHAPTER    XVI. 


Pittsburgh — A  Thousand  Women  on  the  Street. 


UR  State  Constitutional  Convention  was 
in  session  in  Cincinnati  during  the  winter 
of  our  Crusade,  framing  a  new  Constitu- 
tion, to  be  submitted  to  the  people  for  their 
acceptance  or  rejection.  And  among  the  various 
subjects  considered  by  the  framers,  came  the 
ever-disturbing  liquor  problem,  and  it  was  dis- 
covered that  the  liquor  men  were  bringing  all 
their  money  and  political  influence  to  bear  upon 
the  delegates  to  get  a  license  clause  inserted  in 
the  instrument.  The  Crusaders  took  the  alarm 
and  a  call  went  out  from  Akron  for  a  Mass-Con- 
vention of  the  temperance  men  and  women  of 
the  State. 

This  call  was  sent  out  on  the  I2th  of  April, 
and  on  the  22d  there  assembled  in  Cincinnati  a 
delegation  of  the  best  class  of  the  citizens  of  the 
State.  The  meeting  had  been  announced  for 
the  Ninth  Street  Baptist  Church,  but  it  proved 
inadequate  to  accommodate  the  throng  that 
gathered,  and  they  adjourned  to  Wesley  Chapel, 
the  largest  church  in  the  city.  One  hundred 

315 


3l6  MEMORIES    OF    THE    CRUSADE. 

and  forty-one  Leagues  and  seventy-three  counties 
were  represented. 

My  work  being  in  the  field,  and  the  calls  still 
pouring  in,  I  did  not  expect  to  attend, — I  have, 
indeed,  always  felt  more  in  my  legitimate  work 
when  out  organizing  and  rallying  the  army  than 
in  the  council  chamber. 

The  Crusaders  in  Bucyrus  were  having  a 
peculiarly  hard  time  with  the  liquor  men  and 
their  allies,  which  were  not  only  the  low  drunk- 
ards, but  the  city  Mayor  and  his  officials  also. 
So  they  wrote  me  to  come  to  them  for  the  even- 
ing of  the  2 1st,  but  my  friends  at  home  insisted 
that  I  must  go  with  them  to  Cincinnati.  I  tele- 
graphed I  could  not  go  at  that  time.  Rev. 
Baltzly  telegraphed  back:  "It  will  be  very 
disastrous  to  us  if  you  do  not  come  now."  It 
was  now  twelve  o'clock,  and  the  train  left  at  one. 
I  ran  to  Rev.  Mr.  Hamma  for  advice.  He  said 
"go, "and  rising  from  the  dinner-table,  bade  me 
sit  down  and  eat  my  dinner,  while  he  ran  to  the 
telegraph  office  to  notify  them  that  I  was  com- 
ing, and  to  the  livery-stable  to  order  a  hack. 
By  the  time  I  had  eaten  a  hasty  dinner  he  had 
the  hack  in  waiting;  I  sprang  in  and  was  driven 
a  half  mile  to  my  home,  made  my  toilet  and 
away  to  the  depot,  another  half  mile,,  in  time  for 
my  train.  The  sisters  still  insisted  that  I  must 
return  in  time  to  accompany  them  to  Cincinnati 
next  morning. 

On  the  Sandusky  train, — but  how  to  reach 
Bucyrus,  which  was  on  the  Ft.  Wayne  road,— 


MEMORIES   OF   THE    CRUSADE. 

or  how  to  get  out  again,  I  did  not  know.  The 
conductor,  however,  very  kindly  assisted  me  in 
making  out  my  route.  I  reached  Bucyrus  at 
seven  o'clock  and  a  large  committee  was  waiting 
to  receive  me.  I  told  them  I  must  leave  at  nine 
o'clock  by  private  conveyance  in  order  to  catch 
the  down  train  from  Cleveland,  which  passed 
Galion  at  eleven. 

Brother  Baltzly  said  if  that  was  the  case  he 
would  have  a  carnage  in  waiting.  I  swallowed 
a  little  supper,  went  to  the  church  and  delivered 
what  words  of  encouragement  I  could.  At  nine 
o'clock  Brother  Baltzly  notified  me  that  my  time 
was  up  and  carriage  at  the  door.  I  left  that 
faithful  and  devoted  couple  of  temperance  evan- 
gelists, David  and  Hannah  Tatum,  to  close  the 
meeting,  and  set  off  across  the  country  eleven 
miles  for  Galion,  and  beat  the  train  in  by  twenty 
minutes.  When  it  came  I  boarded  it  and  arrived 
in  Springfield  about  three  o'clock,  drove  home, 
caught  a  little  sleep,  and  was  up  and  at  the 
depot  by  seven,  ready  to  join  my  friends  for 
Cincinnati,  which  we  reached  about  ten. 

I  never  looked  upon  a  more  intelligent  and  at 
the  same  time  enthusiastic  and  determined, 
thoughtful  body  of  men  and  women. 

The  chronicler  says :  ' '  The  church  was  capable 
of  holding  two  thousand  persons,  and  through- 
out the  sessions  it  would  be  crowded,  part  of  the 
time  almost  to  suffocation." 

The  first  subject  of  consideration,  and  that  for 
which  the  Convention  was  called,  was  the  license 


3l8  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

question  pending  in  the  Constitutional  Conven- 
tion. The  sentiment  was  strong  and  unanimous 
against  licensing  the  traffic  in  any  shape  or  form. 
A  committee  was  appointed  to  draft  a  memorial 
to  the  Convention,  and  after  a  brief  consultation 
a  paper  was  brought  in,  and  with  slight  modifi- 
cation was  adopted,  and  a  large  committee  of 
ladies  was  appointed  to  convey  the  memorial  to 
the  Convention. 

Another  subject  was  in  reference  to  appealing 
to  Congress  to  abolish  the  revenue  on  all  intoxi- 
cants as  a  beverage,  the  object  being  the  out- 
lawry of  the  traffic  by  the  withdrawal  of  its 
recognition  by  Congress  as  a  legitimate  business 
and  as  a  means  of  raising  a  revenue,  and  also 
of  the  laws  providing  for  its  protection  in  com- 
mon with  other  useful  industries.  But  this  was 
abandoned,  and  instead  it  was  decided  to  ask 
Congress  to  prohibit  the  importation  of  intoxi- 
cating liquors.  It  was  undoubtedly  the  timely 
assembly  and  appeal  of  this  representative  body 
of  the  Christian  people  that  decided  the  delegates 
to  submit  a  separate  clause  to  be  voted  upon  at 
the  same  time  with  the  Constitution. 

I  did  not  remain  to  the  close  of  this  remark- 
able Convention,  having  an  engagement  for 
Pittsburgh  on  the  evening  of  Thursday,  the  23d. 
I  reached  home  a  little  after  nine  o'clock,  having 
traveled  over  three  hundred  miles,  spoken  at 
least  an  hour  at  Bucyrus,  and  put  in  a  good  part 
of  a  day  at  the  Convention  since  one  o'clock  the 
day  before.  I  am  forgetting  to  say  that  I  had 


MEMORIES    OF   THE    CRUSADE.  319 

company  all  this  time — Mrs.  Dr.  Holmes,  a 
dearly  loved  niece,  who  had  not  visited  me 
before  for  years.  But  being  a  lady  of  both  piety 
and  good,  practical  sense,  she  heartily  acquiesced 
in  the  necessity  that  compelled  my  absence.  I 
got  a  pretty  good  night's  rest  and  next  morning 
was  up  and  off  to  Pittsburgh. 

No  doubt  the  question  has  occurred  to  the 
reader  more  than  once,  how  it  was  that  I  could 
leave  my  home  in  this  fashion  at  a  moment's 
notice  and  be  absent  indefinitely.  Not  an  un- 
natural question  to  be  asked  of  a  woman,  and  I 
do  not  know  but  this  is  as  opportune  a  time  and 
place  as  I  can  find  to  enlighten  the  minds  of  my 
good-natured  readers.  I  shall,  indeed,  take 
great  pleasure  while  whirling  along  over  the 
country  towards  Pittsburgh,  in  telling  what  to 
me  has  always  been  one  of  the  most  remarkable 
incidents  of  my  eventful  life.  I  have  already 
mentioned  that  for  years  I  was  an  invalid,  with 
expectation  of  living  but  a  short  time. 

It  was  during  this  time  that  my  foster  brother 
and  kinsman,  Mr.  Campbell,  not  knowing  how 
very  ill  I  was,  became  impressed  that  I  needed 
some  one  that  would  be  more  to  me,  and  could 
do  more  for  me,  than  any  hired  help  I  might 
get.  So,  in  conference  with  his  estimable  wife 
and  one  of  his  daughters,  it  was  decided  that  he 
should  bring  the  daughter  to  me.  He  brought 
her  to  me  and  from  that  day  to  this  she  has  been 
to  me  in  the  richest  and  dearest  sense  a  daugh- 
ter. The  world  will  never  know  her  worth,  her 


32O  MEMORIES    OF   THE    CRUSADE. 

devotion  and  sacrifice  for  me,  for  she  will  not 
permit  my  telling  it,  and  shrinks  from  anything 
like  calling  attention  to  herself.  She  will  be 
really  distressed,  no  doubt,  when  she  discovers 
that  I  have  said  even  this.  A  Providence  child 
she  has  been,  and  my  right  hand  in  all  these 
years,  so  that  going  or  coming  I  have  no  solici- 
tude as  to  my  home.  If  I  and  my  husband  are 
at  home,  we  are  cared  for  with  the  gentle 
thoughtfulness  that  would  be  given  to  her  own 
parents. 

If  I  am  gone,  I  know  Mr.  Stewart  is  cared  for 
as  if  I  were  at  home.  If  we  are  both  absent,  I 
am  sure  my  home  interests  are  as  safe  as  if  we 
were  there.  She  acts  as  my  secretary  in  my 
absence,  and  always  manifests  the  deepest 
sympathy  with  me  and  my  work,  and  the  liveliest 
interest  in  the  temperance  cause.  Thus  have  I 
been  by  a  gracious  Providence  enabled  to  give 
my  undivided  attention  to  my  work,  as  I  never 
could  have  done  without  her  invaluable  love  and 
sympathy. 

I  arrived  in  Pittsburgh  Thursday  evening,  and 
found  a  warm  welcome  and  precious  home  with 
Mrs.  S.  B.  Robison,  the  claim  upon  which  I 
have  not  yet  relinquished.  Friday  morning  I 
met  the  ladies  at  headquarters,  in  the  afternoon 
a  prayer-meeting,  at  night  a  very  large  meeting 
in  Dr.  Noble's  church. 

I  was  booked  for  Fairmont,  W.  Va., — up 
among  the  mountains  on  the  B.  &  O.  road — for 
Saturday,  and  had  to  leave  early  Saturday  morn- 


MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE.  321 

ing.  But  the  Pittsburgh  ladies  insisted  that  one 
day's  help  would  not  serve  their  purpose ;  the 
work  was  languishing,  and  the  liquor  men  were 
influencing  the  press  to  say  the  Crusade  was  a 
failure  and  that  the  work  was  dying  out  in  Pitts- 
burgh. They  said  if  I  could  not  remain,  then  I 
must  return  to  them.  I  told  them  to  announce 
a  County  Convention  for  the  next  Wednesday, 
work  the  matter  up  well,  see  that  all  the  bands 
of  both  cities,  as  well  as  those  of  other  parts  of 
the  county,  were  on  hand  in  full  force,  and  I 
would  be  back  on  Tuesday  evening.  I  proposed 
to  play  a  game  with  those  brave  saloon-keepers, 
and  felt  pretty  confident  I  would  win. 

Saturday  morning,  off  for  Fairmont,  down 
through  Wheeling,  and  out  among  the  moun- 
tains. (This  day  I  was  fifty  eight  years  old.)  I 
reached  Fairmont  after  night, — a  dismal,  rainy 
time.  I  was  glad  to  rest  till  Sabbath  evening, 
when  I  addressed  a  large  union  meeting  in  the 
M.  P.  Church.  The  next  morning  I  met  and 
organized  the  ladies  and  led  them  out  to  visit 
the  saloons.  Walking  by  my  side  was  that 
eminent  Christian  lady,  ex-Governor  Pierpont's 
wife.  When  invited  to  join  us,  "Yes,"  she 
said,  "if  my  influence  will  be  of  any  use  I  will 
give  it  cheerfully. "  The  first  man  we  visited, 
after  we  had  finished  our  devotions  in  front  of 
his  place  appeared  at  an  upper  door,  and  seem- 
ing to  have  something  important  on  his  mind, 
began,  "Now,  ladies,"  but  as  it  was  not  our 
mission  to  "argufy"  we  quietly  passed  on,  not 

(21) 


322  MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSAOE, 

a  little  to  his  disgust.  The  last  man  we  visited 
kept  a  tavern  near  the  depot,  and  sold  liquors  or 
had  a  saloon  in  connection.  The  sisters  were 
very  anxious  that  I  should  talk  to  him.  He  was 
out,  I  remember,  doing  something  to  his  fence. 
I  approached  him  and  tried  as  well  as  I  could  to 
talk  to  him,  but  while  I  cannot  remember  a 
word  I  or  he  said,  I  have  still  the  impression 
that  my  words  were  pitifully  weak  and  lacking 
in  force,  and  that  he  seemed  wholly  untouched 
and  indifferent.  Oh,  how  weak  and  inefficient 
did  I  feel  at  such  times !  What  miserable  failures 
my  appeals  seemed  to  be  ;  and  for  the  matter  of 
that,  what  miserable  failures  have  all  my  efforts 
seemed,  whether  in  private  appeal  or  on  the 
platform,  or  in  the  pulpit!  Oh,  how  have  I 
ransacked  my  brain  for  more  earnest,  more 
effective  words  to  convey  the  thought  that  was 
burning  within  !  and  yet  is  any  word  in  the 
English  language  adequate  to  paint  the  liquor 
business,  the  crime  and  horror  of  this  Christian 
land? 

Years  rolled  away,  and  one  Sabbath  morning 
found  me  at  my  church  in  Springfield,  when  a 
friend  brought  a  stranger  to  me,  saying  the 
"gentleman  wished  an  introduction  to  Mother 
Stewart."  Upon  being  presented,  he  asked  me 
if  I  did  not  remember  him?  As  I  could  not 
recall  him,  he  told  me  he  was  the  man  I  had 
talked  to  by  his  fence  at  Fairmont  in  West  Vir- 
ginia ;  recalled  the  conversation,  that  it  seemed 
he  had  not  forgotten,  and  said  he  had  long  since 


MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE.  $2$ 

given  up  liquor  selling.  He  had  moved  west, 
had  sought  and  found  Jesus,  and  was.  now  a 
saved  and  happy  man. 

At  night  we  had  another  large  meeting  in  the 
M.  E.  Church,  and  on  the  morrow  I  set  out 
again  for  Pittsburgh,  which  I  reached  about 
seven  o'clock.  Before  I  could  take  my  supper 
a  carriage  with  a  delegation  of  ladies  was  in 
waiting  from  Lawrenceville,  a  suburb  some  four 
miles  distant,  to  take  me  to  address  a  mass-meet- 
ing for  them.  It  was  somewhat  late,  but  the 
crowd  was  waiting  patiently,  and  some  gentlemen 
occupying  the  time.  The  enthusiasm  here  was 
so  great  that  for  once  I  was  alarmed  lest  I  should 
be  picked  up  and  carried  to  the  platform.  After 
the  meeting  I  returned  to  the  city. 

On  Wednesday  morning  we  assembled  in  Dr. 
Howard's  church.  I  conducted  the  meeting, 
calling  out  gentlemen  and  ladies,  till  towards 
noon  word  came  to  the  stand  that  the  business 
men  had  come  in,  on  their  way  to  dinner,  to  hear 
the  Ohio  Crusader,  and  their  wish  must  be  grati- 
fied. We  adjourned  to  meet  at  the  same  place 
at  two  o'clock,  announcing  that  we  would  then 
form  our  procession  and  march  across  the  bridge 
to  the  "Diamond,"  in  Allegheny  City,  and  there 
hold  our  meeting. 

At  the  hour  appointed  we  came  together  and 
formed  our  line,  starting  with  about  500  ladies, 
marching  through  some  of  the  principal  streets, 
adding  bands  and  companies  as  we  went.  Cross- 
ing the  bridge,  all  the  Allegheny  bands  met  us 


324          MEMORIES  OP  THE  CRUSADE. 

and  fell  into  line.  The  streets  were  thronged 
with  a  great  mass  of  men,  women  and  children. 
When  we  reached  the  "  Diamond"  I  asked 
some  of  the  gentlemen  how  many  ladies  were  in 
the  procession.  They  said  "it  would  be  safe  to 
say  a  thousand."  I  took  my  pencil  and  paper 
and  wrote  to  the  Associated  Press,  "  A  thousand 
women  on  the  streets  in  Pittsburgh ;  great 
enthusiasm,  but  entire  order." 

I  won  the  game,  didn't  I  ?  Yes,  and  if  the 
politicians  had  kept  their  hands  off  we  would 
have  won  the  final  victory  long  ago.  But  ' '  our 
party"  was  of  more  consequence  than  the  souls 
of  men,  and  the  battle  is  still  on. 

The  "Diamond"  seemed  to  be  a  mass  of 
humanity,  and  belonging  to  Zacheus'  family,  the 
people  were  unable  to  see  me.  Some  of  the  ladies 
said,  "These  people  must  see  you,  Mother 
Stewart,  if  we  have  to  hold  you  on  our  shoul- 
ders." So,  upon  consultation  with  the  gentle- 
men, boxes  were  brought  and  a  stand  improvised. 
The  day,  however,  was  so  windy,  that  the  crowd 
could  not  hear,  and  finally  a  motion  was  made 
to  adjourn  to  Dr.  McMillan's  church,  a  large 
edifice  near.  The  people  did  not  wait  to  hear 
the  motion  carried,  nor  upon  the  order  of  their 
going.  There  we  finished  up,  and  from  there 
Dr.  Davidson  took  me  down  to  his  church  at 
the  "Point,"  and  with  only  time  for  a  hasty  tea  I 
addressed  another  audience,  returning  to  Mrs. 
Robinson's  after  the  meeting.  I  fancy  this  will  pass 
for  one  day's  work.  Oh,  it  seems  to  me  that  to-day, 


door  meeting. 

announced  as  a  business  men's  meeting. 


MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE.  325 

nearly  fourteen  years  after,  if  the  fire,  zeal  and 
enthusiasm  were  burning  in  the  hearts  of  the 
people  as  on  that  day,  even  with  the  added  years 
and  broken  health,  I  could  do  it  again.  Never 
again  shall  I  see  those  days  return. 

On  Thursday  I  met  the  ladies  in  morning 
meeting,  then  visited  the  city  jail  and  talked  to 
the  prisoners.  In  the  afternoon  I  met  the  ladies 
again,  and  at  the  twilight  hour  addressed  an  out- 
At  night  we  had  what  had  been 

The 

ladies  desired  me  to  make  a  call  for  a  guarantee 
fund  to  aid  them  in  prosecuting  their  work,  and 
I  made  the  attempt.  A  few  responses  came 
quite  promptly,  but  they  began  to  come  at 
greater  intervals.  At  length  a  gentleman  came 
to  me  and  said  privately,  "Mother  Stewart,  the 
business  men  sent  me  to  say  to  you  that  a  fund 
cannot  be  raised  that  way  in  Pittsburgh.  The 
only  way  it  can  be  raised  will  be  for  the  ladies 
to  get  blanks  printed  and  call  on  the  men  at  their 
places  of  business  and  take  their  names,  with 
the  amount,  privately.  Pittsburgh  is  built  on 
whisky  f* 

Alas !  and  alas  !  their  words  proved  truer  than 
they  at  that  time  realized.  I  was  passing  through 
the  city  on  the  4th  of  July,  four  years  later,  and 
having  to  wait  sometime,  my  attention  was  called 
to  the  elegance  and  completeness  of  that  great 
structure,  the  Union  Depot  I  also  visited  some 
of  the  offices,  all  seeming  to  be  perfect  in  all 
their  appointments.  A  few  days  later,  as  I  stood 


326  MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE. 

in  Cooper  Institute,  New  York,  addressing  a 
meeting,  I  had  occasion  to  mention  Pittsburgh. 
When  I  took  my  seat,  a  gentleman  came  to  me 
and  said,  "Mother  Stewart,  do  you  know  that 
Pittsburgh  is  in  flames?"  No,  is  it  possible? 
"Yes."  So  I  found  on  my  return — when  it 
became  possible  and  safe,  after  the  railroad 
strike  of  '78,  to  attempt  to  return  to  my  home. 
Again  I  had  to  make  a  halt  in  Pittsburgh,  and 
where  I  had  seen  and  admired  that  magnificent 
building,  now  lay  a  heap  of  black  ruins,  and 
along  the  various  tracks  running  away  out  of  the 
city  were  the  irons  only  of  hundreds  of  cars, 
and  in  many  places  the  charred  remains  of  their 
freight,  with  great  piles  of  grain  yet  smoulder- 
ing. I  asked  a  gentleman,  "Did  liquor  have 
anything  to  do  with  this?"  "Oh,  yes,"  he 
responded.  ' '  On  that  next  morning  you  could 
have  seen  a  thousand  drunken  men  lying  about 
on  those  hills  !"  I  asked  another :  ' '  Yes, "  said 
he ;  "if  the  Mayor  had  not  ordered  the  saloons 
closed  when  he  did,  in  all  probability  the  whole 
city  would  have  been  laid  in  ashes."  Ah,  yes, 
I  thought,  Pittsburgh  is  indeed  built  on  whisky, 
and  I  fancy  those  good  gentlemen,  if  they  could 
have  foreseen  and  averted  that  calamity  and 
disgrace  to  their  city,  would  gladly  have  given 
half  a  million  of  money  to  the  temperance  cause. 
And  who  knows,  peradventure,  if  they  had  in- 
vested such  a  sum  for  the  furtherance  of  the 
cause  and  the  enforcement  of  the  laws,  that 
great  destruction  might  have  been  averted  ? 


EMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE.  327 

At  the  close  of  our  meeting  a  number  of  ladies 
and  gentlemen  accompanied  me  to  the  depot, 
and  at  one  o'clock  I  took  the  train  for  home. 
Dear  old  Pittsburgh,  a  host  of  friends  I  claim 
there.  How  warm  has  always  been  the  greeting 
they  have  given  me. 

The  liquor  dealers  and  manufacturers  were 
seriously  feeling  the  effect  of  our  work.  They 
had  endured  for  a  time,  supposing  the  excite- 
ment could  not  last,  but  when  it  went  into  weeks, 
then  months,  and  their  customers  by  the 
thousands  signed  the  pledge,  and  their  sales  fell 
off  till  their  business  seemed  on  the  verge  of 
ruin,  they  saw  that  something  more  than  worrying 
and  annoying  the  Crusaders  must  be  done.  Says 
one  of  the  dailies  about  this  time: 

The  day  when  the  liquor  dealers  laughed  at  the 
women's  movement  has  passed.  Whatever  the  secret 
of  its  success  and  however  ridiculous  it  at  first  ap- 
peared, it  now  seems  very  formidable  to  all  who 
depend  for  income  upon  the  manufacture  or  sale  of 
whisky  or  beer.  Not  that  they  anticipate  the  con- 
version of  the  whole  people  to  total  abstinence 
principles,  or  breaking  up  of  the  liquor  business,  or 
any  permanent  disastrous  effects  upon  them  or  their 
calling;  but  already  they  have  been  very  much 
embarrassed.  Hundreds  of  liquor  stores  have  been 
temporarily  and  permanently  closed;  a  large  number 
of  persons  have  gone  out  of  the  business.  The  de- 
mand for  both  spirituous  and  malt  liquors  has  won- 
derfully fallen  off.  One  place  in  Southern  Ohio, 
which  formerly  took  one  hundred  barrels  of  beer  a 
day  from  Cincinnati,  now  takes  none.  There  is  a 
great  change  in  public  sentiment,  as  shown  in  the  fact 
that  in  many  communities  liquor  selling  and  liquor 
drinking  are  now  considered  alike  disreputable. 
Many  towns  have  passed  and  are  enforcing  prohibi- 
tory laws  as  strict  as  the  State  statute  allows.  These 


328  MEMORIES  OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

things  are  calculated  to  breed  alarm ;  they  do,  and 
the  result  is  seen  in  a  depression  of  prices  and  a 
panic  among  the  liquor  dealers  in  almost  every  town 
as  soon  as  the  women  take  up  the  line  of  march. 

But  these  worthy  gentlemen  had  a  reserve 
force  to  fall  back  upon  in  their  extremity  that 
had  not  hitherto  failed  them — the  potent,  pliant 
politician.  And  now  they  turned  their  attention 
to  the  State  Legislature. 

Early  in  April  a  bill  was  introduced  into  the 
Ohio  General  Assembly  to  so  amend  the  munici- 
pal code  as  to  take  away  from  town  or  city  corpora- 
tions the  right  to  prohibit  the  sale  of  ale  or  beer, 
and  the  keeping  open  of  tippling  houses  within 
their  limits.  This  was  known  as  the  Pearson  bill, 
and  was  intended  to  annul  the  ordinances  that 
were  so  effectually  breaking  up  their  business  in 
the  smaller  towns  all  over  the  State.  Both  the 
liquor  men  and  the  friends  of  temperance  were 
watching  the  movements  of  the  Legislature  with 
closest  attention,  and  as  soon  as  it  was  known 
that  this  bill  was  pending  they  rallied  their 
forces.  The  liquor  men  sent  in  their  trusty 
representatives,  armed  with  rolls  of  greenbacks 
and  political  clubs.  The  Crusaders  sent  up  their 
praying  women,  with  the  new  instruction  to 
" watch" — they  were  coming  to  see  that  it 
would  be  necessary  to  " watch" — and  pray. 
When  the  word  went  out  that  the  bill  was  before 
the  House,  the  Columbus  ladies  had  the  bells 
rung  and  in  an  hour  the  hall  was  filled  with 
women  who  "watched  the  words  and  votes  of 
every  member  with  exasperating  closeness," 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  329 

as  said  a  looker-on.  It  was  due  to  the  vigilance 
of  these  women  that  the  bill  did  not  pass.  On 
the  last  night  of  the  session  of  the  House,  Satur- 
day, April  1 8th,  three  hundred  ladies  "sat  up 
with  the  members  "  till  midnight,  and  so  defeated 
any  adverse  legislation  for  that  term, — and  I 
suspect  those  solons  adjourned  in  a  soberer 
mood  than  if  the  ladies  had  not  been  present.  I 
cannot  help  wondering  how  it  would  have  been 
if  a  goodly  number  of  those  ladies  had  been 
there  throughout  the  session,  by  right  of  equal 
citizenship,  or  how  it  would  now  be  if  they  had 
been  there  in  the  years  that  have  followed. 

My  friend  \V.  G.  Hubbard  has  just  related  to 
me  a  scene  that  he  witnessed  during  the  session 
of  the  Legislature,  that  is  of  so  much  interest  that 
I  feel  impelled  to  add  it  here.  He  says,  "I  look- 
ed out  of  my  window  here  and  saw  a  band  of 
Crusaders  marching  up  the  street ;  reaching  the 
corner,  they  turned  into  High  street,  crossed 
over,  and  entering  the  gate  of  the  Capitol 
grounds  they  proceeded  up  to  the  Capitol, — 
I,  with  many  others,  following.  They  marched 
in  and  formed  a  circle  under  the  dome,  and  there 
sang  their  sweet,  plaintive  songs  and  offered  up 
their  humble  petitions  to  God  that  the  law-makers 
of  our  State  might  be  so  endued  with  wisdom 
and  courage  that  they  would  be  able  to  withstand 
the  potent  influences  that  were  being  brought  to 
bear  by  the  liquor-dealers,  and  to  enact  such 
righteous  laws  as  would  relieve  our  beloved  State 
from  the  curse  of  liquor.  Many  of  the  mem- 


33O  MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

bers  stood  by  with  uncovered  heads  and  in  awe- 
struck silence,  while  the  eyes  of  not  a  few  were 
dimmed  with  tears.  As  that  venerable  and  saint- 
ly woman,  Sister  Binns,  was  offering  up  the  final 
prayer  in  such  eloquent  strains  as  I  had  seldom 
listened  to  before,  the  last  rays  of  the  setting 
sun  streamed  out  and  poured  a  flood  of  light 
through  the  western  corridor  upon  that  strange, 
solemn  scene.  It  fell  upon  the  face  of  the  sup- 
pliant and  illuminated  it  as  with  a  halo  from  the 
upper  skies.  It  caught  a  solitary  tear  lying  upon 
her  pale  cheek  and  changed  it  into  a  glowing 
diamond."  "Oh,"  said  he,  while  his  placid 
Quaker  blood  seemed  to  leap  through  his  veins 
with  an  unwonted  impetuosity,  "  if  a  Raphael 
could  have  caught  that  scene,  what  a  picture  it 
would  have  been  to  give  to  succeeding  genera- 
tions of  one  of  the  most  impressive  scenes  of  the 
Crusade !  " 

And  so  the  liquor  fraternity  were  foiled  for  the 
time,  the  old  topers  whose  supplies  had  been  cut 
off  were  suffering  the  horrors  of  unassuaged 
thirst;  what  next  could  be  done?  Various 
ingenious  devices  were  resorted  to,  most  general- 
ly with  disastrous  and  ignominious  results. 

At  one  place  a  closed  out  dealer  ordered  up  a 
little  stock  by  express  from  Cincinnati  on  the 
sly,  but  by  some  mysterious  telegraphy  the 
news  reached  the  Crusaders,  and  they  were  on 
hand  at  the  depot  to  enter  their  protest  against 
its  delivery.  It  was  sent  forward  to  the  next 
town,  but  by  the  time  it  arrived  the  ladies  were 


MEMORIES  OF  THE   CRUSADE.  33! 

waiting  for  it,  and  as  there  seemed  to  be  no 
possibility  of  eluding  the  women  it  was  shipped 
back  to  Cincinnati.  At  another  place,  a  man 
who  had  surrendered,  apparently  in  good  faith, 
aroused  the  suspicions  of  the  Crusaders  by  cer- 
tain movements,  and  they  decided  it  would  be 
well  to  keep  an  eye  on  him.  His  place  adjoined 
a  dwelling  with  an  upper  porch ;  here  they 
stationed  a  couple  of  ladies  to  do  picket  duty. 
Provided  with  a  dark  lantern  they  awaited 
developments.  About  eleven  o'clock  a  wagon 
drove  up  very  quietly  in  front  of  the  place,  and 
as  quietly — speaking  only  in  whispers — some 
persons  proceeded  to  unload  a  barrel,  which  they 
were  about  to  convey  to  the  cellar,  when  a 
brilliant  light  flashed  upon  the  scene.  There 
was  a  sudden  and  embarrassing  pause,  then  the 
barrel  was  reloaded  and  driven  briskly  away. 
Some  obliging  hucksters  attempted,  and  success- 
fully for  a  time — till  some  one  discovered  their 
game — to  smuggle  a  few  jugs  out  of  Cincinnati 
under  their  goods  and  wares,  to  deliver  to 
their  thirsty  customers.  Another  device  was 
by  a  pedestrian — emulating  a  German  saloonistin 
his  palmiest  days  in  expanse  and  rotund  pro- 
portions— taking  excursions  through  the  country. 
There  seemed  to  be  not  a  little  mystery  about 
his  coming  and  going,  and  it  was  noticeable  that  he 
was  always  warmly  welcomed  by  the  forlorn  old 
topers.  Upon  investigating,  it  was  found  that 
he  had  got  a  tinner  to  fit  around  him  a  tin  vessel 
which  held  a  few  quarts  of  whisky,  supplied  with 


332  MEMORIES  OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

a  faucet,  and  with  a  cup  in  his  pocket  he  was 
prepared,  for  a  consideration,  to  wet  the  parched 
lips  of  Dives,  or  whoever  was  able  to  patronize 
the  unique  walking  demijohn.  ' '  Prohibition  does 
not  prohibit."  I  remember  having  heard  a 
temperance  lecturer  of  the  anti-prohibition  kind 
declare  that  "  prohibition  in  Maine  was  a  failure, 
because  to  his  certain  knowledge  liquor  was 
brought  into  the  State  in  egg-shells. ' ' 

Mary  Hadley  tells  this  story  of  crusading  an 
ale  wagon:  "The  women  of  Wilmington  had 
pretty  effectually  closed  the  liquor  out  and 
brought  the  business  into  such  bad  repute  that 
those  who  were  still  attempting  to  sell  had  not 
the  hardihood  to  replenish  their  stock  in  open 
daylight,  or  in  sight  of  the  Crusaders.  They 
knew  they  were  on  the  watch  for  any  consign- 
ment per  railroad.  The  supply  was  running 
low,  when  a  wagon  drove  into  town  with  a  load 
of  ale  and  attempted  to  deliver  to  the  needy 
dealers.  But  Friend  Hadley  saw  it,  and  at  once 
hastened  to  put  herself  between  the  wagon  and 
the  saloon,  and  began  praying  with  all  her  might 
to  the  Lord  to  send  some  of  the  sisters  to  her 
help.  It  was  not  long  till  a  reinforcement  came. 
The  driver  was  in  a  great  dilemma ;  he  attempted 
to  move  on  to  another  saloon,  but  the  ladies 
also  moved  on  ;  another,  and  the  ladies  kept  by 
his  side  ;  yet  another,  and  they  also  moved  on. 
He  concluded  to  give  it  up  and  leave,  when  a 
not  very  bright  lad  sprang  forward  and  caught 
the  horses  by  the  bridle  and  held  them.  By 


MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE.  333 

this  time  the  news  of  the  situation  had  reached 
the  church,  where  a  meeting  was  in  progress, 
and  the  Crusaders  came  in  a  body  to  the  scene 
of  action,  and  surrounding  the  driver  and  his 
wagon  in  the  street,  there  sang  and  prayed  with 
him  until  he  seemed  at  his  wit's  end  Sister 
Worthington,  the  President,  had  hastily  pre- 
pared a  pledge  for  him  to  sign  that  he  would 
never  enter  the  town  again  on  such  busi- 
ness, when  the  marshal  appeared  and  ordered 
the  boy  to  let  go  of  the  horses.  The  man 
whipped  up  his  team  and  fled,  not  stopping  till 
he  put  a  good  many  miles  between  him  and  the 
Crusaders. 

The  boy  being  a  little  below  ordinary  intelli- 
gence, the  obstruction  on  his  part  was  not 
actionable.  Though  not  very  bright,  his  sym- 
pathies were  with  the  women,  as  was  always  the 
case  with  such,  as  well  as  the  boys  of  the  street 
everywhere." 


CHAPTER   XVII. 


Outrage  Upon  the  Crusaders—  Whitelefs  Speech. 


the  reports  that  are  coming  in  from 
the  hundreds  of  battle-fields,  all  of  which 
would  be  intensely  interesting  if  our 
limits  would  permit,  I  find  it  not  a  little  difficult  to 
select  so  as  to  give  a  clear  statement  of  the  prog- 
ress of  the  movement.  At  hand,  however,  is 
a  stereoscopic  view  of  a  street  scene  in  Mount 
Vernon,  which  also  recalls  the  report  given  ot 
the  work  in  this  very  pretty  county  seat  of  Knox 
county,  by  Mr.  Handy,  of  the  New  York  Tribune. 
The  view  represents  a  picket-house  or  shanty 
standing  against  the  wall  of  a  building  and  in 
close  proximity  to  the  inevitable  saloon  door. 
Two  good-looking  ladies  are  sitting  inside  and 
three  others  are  standing  near ;  the  ubiquitous 
boy  in  the  foreground,  with  some  men  in  the 
rear.  In  this  town  the  Crusaders  closed  twenty- 
three  saloons  in  twelve  days.  Mr.  Handy  says : 

This  thrifty  town  may  well  claim  the  championship 
for  a  remarkably  successful  fight  with  the  liquor 
dealers.  When  I  visited  it  less  than  two  weeks  ago, 
I  found  twenty-eight  places  where  liquor  was  sold. 
The  most  prominent  and  influential  business  men  in 
the  place  advised  the  women  not  to  begin  the  move- 
ment, believing  that  failure  was  certain  and  that 


o 

334 


MEMORIES   OF  THE  CRUSADE.  335 

failure  in  Mount  Vernon  would  greatly  retard  the 
progress  of  the  movement  in  Northern  Ohio,  where 
it  was  just  being  introduced.  Dio  Lewis  came, 
however,  and  in  two  days  persuaded  the  women  to 
make  the  trial. 

The  women  went  on  the  streets,  while  the  men 
showed  their  sincerity  by  closing  their  places  of 
business  and  repairing  to  the  churches  for  prayer. 
The  enemy  took  fright  at  once.  The  saloons  con- 
sidered most  formidable  gave  way  first,  others 
followed  in  rapid  succession,  and  to-day  I  find  that 
of  the  twenty-eight  liquor  stores  here  twelve  days 
ago,  only  five  have  not  surrendered. 

With  some  curiosity  as  to  what  the  late  liquor- 
sellers  thought  of  the  movement  and  its  effect,  I  went 
to  a  billiard-room  which,  when  I  was  here  before, 
was  the  most  popular  drinking  place  in  town,  being 
crowded  every  night  with  young  men  who  rank  high 
in  Mount  Vernon  society.  The  proprietor,  an  Irish- 
man with  the  physique  of  a  trained  prize-fighter,  had 
told  me  that  "  the  thing  would  not  work  in  Mount 
Vernon,  and  that  they  (meaning  the  ladies)  had 
better  not  try  it  on."  I  now  found  him  in  a  much 
more  tranquil  frame  of  mind,  as  he  stood  dispensing 
lemonade  and  soda  to  old  topers,  who  have  now  to 
be  content  with  such  mild  substitutes  for  the  old- 
fashioned  toddies  and  punches.  * '  How  do  you  feel 
after  your  surrender?"  I  asked.  "  Never  better — 
never  so  well  in  my  life,"  was  the  prompt  reply.  "I 
don't  know  anything  about  getting  religion,  but  a 
fellow  who  has  just  been  converted  must  feel  some- 
thing like  I  have  felt  for  the  last  week.  I  actually 
enjoy  going  to  church.  Somehow  or  other  every- 
thing looks  bright.  The  best  day's  work  I  ever  did 
was  hanging  out  the  white  flag  on  my  saloon." 
"  But  you  will  go  into  the  old  business  again  when 
this  excitement  dies  out  ?"  "  Not  if  I  know  myself. 
I  wouldn't  be  able  to  hold  my  head  up  if  I  did ;  I 
couldn't  look  a  lady  straight  in  the  face  !  No,  sir, 
I  don't  know  what  has  come  over  me,  but  whisky 
selling  don't  appear  to  me  now  as  it  used  to.  Besides, 
everybody  seems  to  look  upon  me  so  differently  now. 
The  very  men  that  used  to  drink  at  my  bar  think 
more  of  me,  and  as  to  the  ladies — why,  sir,  some  of 


336  MEMORIES  OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

the  best  ladies  in  this  town  have  been  in  my  dining- 
room  with  their  husbands  to  dinner  since  I  closed 
out."  "  Has  your  business  suffered  by  your  stopping 
the  sale  of  liquor  ?"  "  Not  a  bit  of  it,  so  far." 

This  man,  when  making  his  change  and  clear- 
ing up  for  a  refreshment  house,  placed  on  the 
wall  in  conspicuous  letters,  "  God  bless  the 
women." 

At  the  hotel  I  found  the  landlord  actually  bragging 
that  he  had  been  the  first  man  to  surrender,  while 
his  wife  was  putting  on  her  bonnet  and  shawl  to 
attend  the  daily  prayer-meeting.  A  commercial 
traveler  was  about  leaving  the  hotel  with  a  bundle  of 
samples  under  his  arm,  when  the  landlord  exclaimed : 
"You  need  not  go  out  at  this  time  of  day,  sir;  you 
won't  find  a  respectable  store  in  town  open  now  !" 
"Why  ?"  asked  the  astonished  drummer.  "  Because 
it's  prayer-meeting  hour,"  was  the  reply.  "Every 
day, between  nine  and  ten  o'clock,  everybody  goes  to 
the  prayer-meeting/'  Surprised,  myself,  I  went  out 
on  the  street  and  found  that  the  stores  and  shops 
were  indeed  closed  at  this  hour,  when  merchants, 
mechanics,  and  housekeepers  in  country  towns  gen- 
erally are  busiest.  I  went  to  the  Episcopal  church. 
Few  places  of  amusement  are  ever  more  crowded. 
Every  seat  was  filled,  and  men  and  women  stood  in 
the  aisles  and  thronged  the  vestibule.  The  inclosure 
within  the  altar-rail  was  occupied  by  clergymen, 
every  denomination  appearing  to  be  represented. 
The  meeting,  to  use  a  homely  Western  expression, 
run  itself.  Nobody  presided.  The  meeting  pro- 
gressed with  the  greatest  religious  fervor  till  a  young 
man  suddenly  made  his  appearance  and  crowded  his 
way  to  the  pulpit,  where,  facing  the  audience,  with  an 
excited  gesture  he  called  their  attention.  '-Ladies," 
he  said,  "  I  have  come  to  tell  you  that  I  can't  hold 
out  any  longer;  I,  too,  give  in.  I  shall  not  sell  any 
more  liquor,  and  I  want  to  sign  the  pledge." 

The  scene  may  possibly  be  imagined,  but 
hardly  described.  It  was  but  a  few  moments  till 
the  sexton  was  in  the  steeple,  and  with  swing  and 


MEMORIES   OF   THE    CRUSADE.  337 

clang  and  reverberation  the  bell  was  proclaiming 
"another  surrender!"  and  the  other  bells  in  joy- 
ful chimes  pealed  back  ''we  are  so  glad  !  we  are 
so  glad!  thank  God!  thank  God!"  thus  giving 
expression  to  thousands  of  hearts.  It  looked  as 
if  the  victory  would  soon  be  won.  Ah,  me  ! 
Troy,  our  very  pleasant  neighbor  in  Miami 
county,  twenty  miles  west  of  Springfield,  opened 
up  the  Crusade  with  great  earnestness,  led  by 
Mrs.  Dr.  Meeks,  Mrs.  Riley,  the  venerable 
mother  of  Mrs.  Monroe,  our  present  State  Pres- 
ident, Mrs.  Lewis,  and  a  goodly  number  of 
other  ladies  equally  as  devoted  and  determined. 
Being  also  supported  by  all  the  best  men  in  the 
place,  they  did  a  blessed  work  in  closing  saloons, 
obtaining  signers  to  the  pledge,  visiting  the 
prisoners  in  the  jail,  and  holding  prayer  meet- 
ings every  morning.  These  morning  meetings 
they  kept  up  some  years  after  the  Crusade  had 
passed  away.  Among  the  saloon-keepers  here 
was  a  German,  who,  because  of  his  imperfect 
knowledge  of  English,  got  a  very  confused  idea 
of  the  whole  matter.  For  the  better  under- 
standing of  the  case  it  is  necessary  to  explain 
that  in  the  band  that  daily  made  the  round  of 

the  saloons,  was  dear  Sister  P ,  who,  by  an 

injury,  had  been  affected  so  that  her  head  nodded 
incessantly.  Being  locked  out  here,  they  stood 
in  line  on  the  pavement  in  front  of  his  saloon. 
The  old  beer  dispenser,  supposing  Sister  P— — 's 
affliction  to  be  a  part  of  the  whole,  told  his 
worriment  after  this  fashion  : 


MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE. 

' '  Dem  Crusader  vimmens,  dey  comes  here  und 
dey  sings  Rockenages  shplit  for  me,  und  dot  old 
voman  she  shist  shtand  dere  und  keeps  a  nodden 
her  head  und  a  nodden  her  head,  und  I  can't 
rest,  'cause  I  hear  dem  vimmens  a  singin'  Rock- 
enages shplit  for  me,  und  I  see  dot  old  voman  a 
nodden  her  head  und  a  nodden  her  head.  I 
goes  to  bed,  but  I  can't  schlafe,  for  all  de  time 
I  hears  dem  Crusaders  a  singin'  und  I  see  dot 
old  voman  a  nodden  her  head,  und  I  tells  my 
frow  to  light  de  gas,  but  it  do  no  good,  I  shist 
hear  dem  vimmens  a  singin'  Rockenages  shplit 
for  me,  und  I  sees  dot  old  voman  a  nodden  her 
head,  und  a  nodden  her  head,  und  I  sells  out 
und  goes  away,"  which  was  just  what  the  good 
women  wanted. 

I  was  standing  in  the  church  one  night  in 
Eaton,  Preble  county,  addressing  everybody — 
for  everybody  attended  temperance  meetings  in 
those  days — when  a  telegram  was  handed  me, 
saying:  "  Richmond  has  closed  its  last  saloon," 
and  of  course  "  everybody"  sprang  to  their  feet 
and  sang  our  grand,  old  doxology.  Richmond, 
a  neighbor,  a  few  miles  distant,  and  across  the 
line  in  Indiana,  had  early  taken  up  the  Crusade, 
and  through  the  leadership  of  Sisters  Dennis  and 
Martha  Valentine,  and  a  strong  force  of  helpers, 
had  done  a  good  work,  the  faithful  women  not 
being  exempt  from  the  severe  trials  that  tested 
the  faith  and  courage  of  the  Crusaders  nearly 
everywhere.  But  I  think  the  telegram  was 
premature,  and  indeed  I  believe  they  did  not 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  339 

finally  succeed  in  closing  all  the  places,  though 
they  made  the  most  of  the  "  Baxter  law  "  while 
it  lasted  — a  very  effective  species  of  license  law 
which  was  passed  a  little  later.  But  even  this, 
Indiana  was  not  permitted  to  enjoy  the  benefit 
of  very  long.  It  was  too  damaging  to  the  trade, 
and  it  endangered  the  politicians'  heads,  too.  So 
by  the  "judicious"  (?)  use  of  a  few  thousand 
dollars — I  have  heard  it  said  it  took  forty  thou- 
sand dollars — the  honorable  Indiana  law-makers 
were  made  to  see  their  way  clear  to  its  repeal. 

Here  at  Eaton  I  found  the  Crusaders  hard  at 
work,  but  of  the  sisters  I  now  only  recall  Mrs. 
Rev.  Cassett,  of  the  M.  E.  Church,  and  Mrs. 
Judge  Chambers.  They  were  working  with 
great  enthusiasm  ;  had  closed  several  saloons, 
and  were  full  of  anticipation  of  complete  victory. 

I  never  heard  such  prayers  as  those  of  Sister 
Cassett's.  She  seemed  to  reverently  enter  into 
the  presence  of  the  King,  and  as  a  little  child, 
in  faith  and  confidence,  made  her  plea.  But  I 
found  the  brethren  so  absorbed  and  carried  away 
with  the  thought  that  God  had  given  this  great 
national  crime  into  the  hands  of  the  women  to 
dispose  of,  that,  though  the  spring  election  was 
just  upon  them,  they  had  not  thought  of  making 
any  preparation  to  meet  the  issue  at  the  ballot- 
box.  I  did  my  best  to  make  them  see  their 
duty,  and  trust  I  succeeded,  at  least  in  part. 

It  is  a  singular  fact  that  to  one  of  the  Greek 
letter  fraternities  of  the  Ohio  Wesleyan  Uni- 
versity, in  Delaware,  belongs  the  credit  of  calling 


34O  MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

Dio  Lewis  to  Delaware,  and  consequently  the 
inauguration  of  the  Crusade  in  that  pleasant 
college  town. 

The  Doctor  had  been  invited  to  deliver  a 
literary  lecture,  but  being  so  full  of  enthusiasm 
over  the  success  of  his  great  temperance  hobby, 
and  finding  no  temperance  organization  in  the 
town — except,  indeed,  a  small  one  of  Prohibi- 
tionists that  the  dear,  good  man  did  not  take 
kindly  to,  however — he  put  the  question  to  the 
audience  whether  he  should  proceed  with  his 
literary  lecture,  as  per  engagement,  or  present 
the  temperance  question.  The  audience  voted 
for  temperance,  and  the  meeting  was  organized 
by  electing  Dr.  Lewis  chairman.  Dr.  Merrick, 
M.  D.  Coville  and  Cyrus  Pratt  were  named  as 
an  Advisory  Committee. 

Dr.  Lewis,  in  a  short  address,  presented  his 
plan  of  work,  and  was  followed  by  a  number  of 
the  professors,  ministers,  and  prominent  business 
men,  indorsing  the  movement  and  pledging 
support  to  the  ladies,  who  unanimously  pledged 
themselves  to  enter  upon  the  work  at  once,  and 
the  next  day  more  than  a  hundred  Crusaders 
were  visiting  the  saloons.  This  being  the  home 
of  the  first  State  President,  Mrs.  M.  C.  McCabe, 
who  was  supported  by  Mrs.  Thomas  Evans,  Jr., 
Mrs.  Clawson,  Mrs.  Lindsey,  and  a  host  of 
others  of  like  piety  and  refinement,  of  course 
much  effective  work  was  done,  and  much  good 
accomplished  for  the  college  as  the  result  of 
calling  the  great  temperance  apostle.  Another 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 


341 


grand  help  to  the  cause  of  temperance  in  Dela- 
ware, was  the  publishing  there  by  Dr.  Barnes 
and  Thomas  Evans,  Jr. ,  for  several  years,  that 
best  of  temperance  and  Prohibition  papers,  the 
Delaware  Signal. 

This  list  of  noble  temperance  workers  and 
advocates  would  not  be  complete  if  the  name  of 
Dr.  F.  Merrick,  former  President  of  the  Uni- 
versity, were  omitted.  No  man  in  the  State  has 
stood  stronger,  truer,  all  these  years.  Bringing 
his  learning  and  piety,  with  voice  and  pen  to 
encourage  and  advance  every  legitimate  phase 
of  the  work  for  the  extermination  of  the  liquor 
curse. 

Cedarville,in  Greene  county,  had  three  saloons, 
but  it  also  had  some  of  the  best  women  in  the 
State,  who  organized  on  the  /th  of  February 
and  went  to  work  to  win.  It  goes  without  say- 
ing, that  they  won.  Mrs.  Dr.  Stewart,  Mrs. 
Rev.  Morton  and  Mrs.  Harper  were  leading 
spirits  here,  with  enough  of  like  faith  and  zeal 
to  keep  the  Crusade  fires  burning  on  the  altar 
through  these  subsequent  years.  Of  the  brethren 
who  worked  and  prayed,  and  have  up  to  to-day, 
I  am  glad  to  record  Rev.  Dr.  Morton,  Paul 
Tomlinson  ( and  writing  this  name  reminds  me 
that  I  must  add,  and  gave),  Dr.  Stewart  and 
Mr.  Mitchell. 

In  Ripley,  on  the  Ohio  river,  the  hosts  of  the 
Lord  were  marshaled  and  led  by  Gen.  Granville 
Moody,  the  "fighting  parson,"  and  his  wife, 
"  Betsy,"  with  the  same  bravery  and  determina- 


342  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

tion  that  he  exhibited  when  leading  his  "  74th  " 
Ohio  boys  at  Stone  river  and  other  fields  of 
carnage.  I  remember  crossing  his  path  some- 
where during  our  campaign.  He  was  so  hoarse 
from  incessant  work  that  he  could  only  speak  in 
whispers,  but  full  of  enthusiasm.  These  two 
servants  of  the  Most  High  have  both  laid  down 
the  weapons  of  earthly  warfare,  henceforth  to 
wear  the  conqueror's  crown  forever  more.  All 
denominations  united  in  most  cordial  fraternity, 
not  excepting  the  Catholics. 

But  I  must  confine  myself  to  an  extract  from 
the  Secretary's  report  of  one  day's  work  : 

Mr.  Hauser,  the  German  druggist,  who  at  first 
declined  to  sign  the  pledge,  sent  for  the  ladies  and 
gave  his  name  most  willingly.  Mr.  Scholter  promised 
by  his  country,  his  God  and  his  wife,  never  to  sell 
another  drop  of  intoxicating  liquor,  and  we  know  he 
has  kept  it  in  the  face  of  strong  entreaty  to  the 
contrary.  Mr.  Reinert  received  the  ladies  the  first 
day,  but  the  second  closed  his  door.  Down  on  their 
knees  the  ladies  fell  upon  the  pavement,  in  snow  and 
sleet,  with  a  most  pitiless  wind  blowing.  Men  stood 
with  uncovered  heads,  and  the  crowd  wept.  A 
commander  of  our  navy,  who  has  faced  death  and 
danger,  said  he  could  not  endure  this  sight,  and 
tears  coursed  over  his  face.  Close  against  the  pane 
a  mother  bowed  in  prayer,  and  a  moment  later  the 
door  was  opened  and  Mr.  Reinert  said :  "  Ladies, 
I  will  quit  the  business ;  send  a  committee  of  your 
business  men  to  me  "  They  went,  and  he  has 
arranged  to  dispose  of  his  stock. 

In  Dr.  W.  C.  Steel's  "Women's Temperance 
Movement,"  I  find  a  letter  describing  the  street 
work  in  Newark,  from  which  I  must  copy  a  few 
extracts,  not  only  to  convey  an  idea  of  the  im- 
pression made  upon  the  minds  of  men  who 


MEMORIES    OF   THE    CRUSADE. 


343 


witnessed  it,  but  also  because  of  the  remarkable 
prophecy  it  contains,  which  is  even  now  being- 
fulfilled.  Says  the  writer : 

Never  shall  I  forget  the  touching  and  imposing 
spectacle  that  burst  upon  my  view  as  I  beheld  walk- 
ing, calmly  and  solemnly,  over  two  hundred  ladies, 
representing  our  best  society,  enshrined  with  silence 
and  beautified  by  tears.  The  streets  were  crowded 
by  thousands  as  they  moved,  and  many  a  head  was 
uncovered  as  the  ladies  passed  as  if  they  had  a 
special  power  from  God.  *  *  *  Men  stood 
there,  not  in  ridicule,  that  probably  had  never  heard 
a  fervent  prayer  before,  with  uncovered  heads  and 
tearful  eyes,  as  if  impressed  that  the  angels  of  heaven 
were  hovering  above  them.  *  *  Even  a  laugh  at 
such  a  time  seemed  to  jar  discordantly  on  such 
enchanting  silence,  for  they  seemed  in  that  touching 
immobility  as  if  in  communion  with  God.  Laugh 
as  I  have,  ye  that  read  my  letter,  at  its  magic  power; 
but  when  one  reflects  that  it  is  our  mothers,  our 
wives,  our  sisters,  that  are  praying,  weeping,  beseech- 
ing and  asking  in  the  name  of  humanity,  in  the  name 
of  God,  to  overcome  an  evil  that  has  ruined  millions 
of  the  human  race  and  filled  our  jails  and  prisons, 
unless  one  be  destitute  of  feeling  they  cannot  look 
upon  such  scenes  unmoved.  As  the  ladies  passed  a 
house,  yesterday,  the  husband  stormed  and  the  wife 
laughed  ;  but  no  sooner  had  that  multitude  of  solemn 
women  commenced  singing 

"Nearer  my  God  to  thee," 

than  the  husband  burst  into  tears,  and  throwing  his 
arms  around  his  wife,  he  said :  «  My  dear  wife,  I 
cannot  resist  that  song.  I  am  now  convinced  that  it 
is  the  power  of  God  that  moves  that  column.  Go 
and  join  them,  and  may  God  bless  you."  *  *  * 
The  epoch  that  crowned  this  movement  will  never 
be  forgotten.  It  is  just  in  its  infancy;  it  will  not 
only  sweep  over  the  Republic,  but  knock  at  all  the 
doors  of  Europe  for  admission,  and  women  will  at 
last,  by  this  movement,  have  an  epitaph  written  upon 
that  which  is  less  perishable*  than  marble — upon  the 
hearts  of  untold  millions — by  the  touching  pen  of 
gratitude. 


344  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

Urbana,  our  neighbor,  fourteen  miles  north  of 
us,  a  pretty,  flourishing  town  of  five  or  six 
thousand  inhabitants,  and  enough  praying 
women  to  make  a  strong  Crusade  force,  early 
opened  the  work  with  the  enthusiasm  and  zeal 
that  conquers. 

Mrs.  Sallie  Hitt,  a  host  in  herself,  was  made 
leader,  and  with  Mrs.  Smith — who  has  passed 
over  to  her  inheritance, — Mrs.  Shiras,  Mrs. 
Beal,  and  a  host  of  such  Christian  matrons,  with 
a  goodly  number  of  enthusiastic  young  ladies,  a 
vigorous  warfare  was  waged  and  a  glorious 
victory  gained.  Sister  Hitt  holds  among  her 
chief  treasures,  sixteen  licenses,  "scalps,"  as 
she  calls  them,  and  with  commendable  pride 
exhibits  them  as  taken  from  the  enemy,  that 
many  having  surrendered  to  her  their  authority, 
granted  by  the  United  States,  to  kill  their  fellow 
men. 

The  sisters  gave  me  this,  from  the  many 
incidents  that  occurred  in  their  work,  as  every- 
where, which,  if  they  could  only  be  gath- 
ered up,  would  make  a  book  of  themselves,  and 
of  deepest  interest :  "  A  young  man  of  a  town 
in  Indiana  had  married  and  started  in  life,  full  of 
hope  for  bright  years  to  come.  But  like  so 
many  another,  he  had  for  years  indulged  in  the 
fatal  glass,  and  even  after  marrying,  though 
devotedly  attached  to  his  wife,  it  had  not 
occurred  to  him  that  there  was  any  danger  ahead, 
or  that  for  her  sake  it  would  be  well  to  stop.  It 
was  not  long,  however,  till  he  found  himself  in 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  345 

the  embrace  of  the  deadly  serpent  and  power- 
less to  extricate  himself.  In  despair  he  bade  his 
wife  good-bye,  saying,  if  he  could  not  break  the 
chain  that  bound  him  he  should  never  return. 
He  went  out  an  aimless  wanderer.  Providence, 
however,  had  not  forsaken  him,  and  his  steps 
were  turned  to  Ohio  ;  but  on,  aimlessly  he  went, 
till  one  day  he  found  himself  in  the  vicinity  of 
Urbana,  at  the  parting  of  two  ways.  He  sat 
down  to  rest  and  reflect.  When  he  arose  he 
pondered  for  a  while,  which  of  the  two  ways 
that  lay  before  him  he  should  take,  but  without 
any  reason  clear  to  himself,  took  the  one  leading 
into  Urbana.  The  Crusade  was  in  a  blaze,  the 
Crusaders  were  on  the  streets,  meetings  were 
being  held  morning  and  night.  He  made  his 
way,  with  everybody  else,  to  these  meetings,  and 
some  of  the  sisters  found  him  and  induced  him 
to  sign  the  pledge.  Then  he  told  it  all ;  his 
ruin  through  the  drink,  his  despair  and  his 
deserting  his  wife.  Those  ladies  went  to  work, 
procured  him  employment,  some  better  cloth- 
ing, and  wrote  to  the  wife,  sending  her  money 
with  which  to  come,  rented  a  house,  and  it  was 
not  many  days  till  those  two,  parted  by  the 
drink  fiend,  were  re-united  by  the  blessed 
Crusaders,  and  started  once  more  with  much 
better  assurance  of  success  in  life,  because  the 
husband  was  now  a  sober  man. 

ALL   ABOUT  THE   LAGONDA    HOUSE. 

A  very  perplexing  case  was  early  presented 
to  the  Crusaders  of  our  city.  It  might,  indeed, 
be  called  very  complex. 


346  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

Our  new  Lagonda  House,  at  which  we  made 
our  first  call,  was  owned  by  a  joint  stock  com- 
pany, composed  of  some  of  our  most  respected 
citizens,  a  goodly  number  of  them  church  mem- 
bers. The  inevitable  saloon,  with  card  and 
billiard  attachment  in  the  construction  of  the 
house,  was  of  course  known  and  assented  to  by 
the  stock-holders.  It  was  rented  to  a  very  fine 
gentleman,  who  sub-rented  the  basement  to 
another  very  clever  man,  he  to  a  third,  and  he 
to  yet  another  the  billiard  department.  This 
hotel  was  directly  across  the  street  from  our 
headquarters,  and  we  found  our  neighbor,  the 
proprietor,  a  very  affable  and  obliging  gentle- 
man. He  frequently  called  over  at  headquarters 
and  offered  any  assistance  from  the  hotel  in  his 
power,  and  very  generously  furnished  a  dinner 
for  the  ladies,  of  which  we  partook  with  thank- 
fulness, not  forgetting  the  usual  ceremony  of  a 
vote  of  thanks,  nor  to  offer  our  prayers  in  his 
behalf,  before  we  departed.  But  we  could  not 
shut  our  eyes  to  the  fact  that  the  saloon  under 
the  hotel  was  doing  its  deadly  work,  as  the  rest 
were.  A  committee  was  sent  to  some  of  the 
stock-holders,  but  they  responded  that  they  had, 
in  renting  the  house,  relinquished  all  control  to 
the  lessee.  A  committee  called  on  that  gentle- 
man, but  he  assured  the  ladies  that  he  had  no  con- 
trol whatever  over  the  basement ;  it  was  leased  to 
another  gentleman,  and  it  would  be  the  proper 
thing  to  call  on  him.  They  called  on  him,  but 
while  he  seemed  quite  disposed  to  oblige  the 


)RIES    OF   THE    CRUSADE.  347 

ladies,   it  was  out  of  his  power;   Mr.  had 


taken  the  premises  for  a  certain  time,  and  he 
was  powerless.  He  was  bound  by  the  terms  of 
his  lease,  as  the  proprietor  of  the  hotel  was  to 
the  directors,  to  use  said  premises  for  such  pur- 
poses and  no  other.  The  closing  up  would  be 
a  great  loss  to  the  share-holders,  as  well  as 
lessees,  etc.  But  if  they  would  see  the  stock- 
holders and  get  them  to  release  him .  It 

seemed  a  sort  of  apparatus  very  like  the  crooked 
hollow  log  in  the  fence,  through  which  the 
historic  pig  made  such  fruitless  attempts  to  reach 
the  coveted  corn  on  the  other  side  of  the  fence. 
Somehow  the  ladies  always  found  themselves  on 
the  same  side  of  the  fence  they  started  from. 
Then  we  attempted  guarding  the  door,  but  the 
business  did  not  seem  to  be  in  the  least  damaged. 
This  claiming  to  be  a  high-toned  concern,  was 
patronized  by  a  large  class  of  young  men  that 
would  not  be  seen  in  the  ordinary  drinking 
places  ;  here  clerks  and  others  crowded  to  spend 
their  evenings.  At  length  a  gentleman  quietly 
informed  me  that  the  customers  passed  down 
through  the  office,  and  not  only  set  the  picket 
guard  at  naught,  but  made  merry  at  their  futile 
attempts  to  prevent  their  sinful  indulgence.  I 
accordingly — upon  a  conference  with  the  guard 
— took  two  of  the  ladies  into  the  office  and  asked 
the  clerk  if  he  would  oblige  me  by  furnishing 
the  ladies  with  chairs.  "Oh,  certainly!"  and 
they  took  up  their  position  at  the  head  of  the 
stairs.  Their  experience,  they  reported,  was 


34^  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

full  of  novel  and  rather  exciting  interest,  and 
not  less  so  seemed  that  of  the  young  gents  who 
hoped  to  indulge  their  appetites  without  the 
knowledge  of  the  Crusaders,  of  whom  they  had 
come  to  entertain  not  a  little  fear,  mingled  with 
profound  respect.  But  they  could  not  forego 
their  accustomed  indulgence,  especially  when 
such  a  convenient  arrangement  offered.  The 
ladies  said  they  often  had  all  they  could  do  to 
preserve  their  gravity,  as  one  and  another  would 
come  springing  along,  perhaps  whistling  some 
cheerful  air,  just  taking  the  first  step  down, 
when  they  would  find  themselves  face  to  face 
with  those  quiet  ladies.  The  sudden  check  in 
step  and  whistle,  the  look  of  blank  astonish- 
ment, the  guilty  blush,  the  embarrassed  bow 
and  sudden  retreat  were  really  funny. 

Then  there  came  a  time  upon  my  return  from 
work  elsewhere,  when  some  of  the  Crusaders 
asked  me  to  try  to  infuse  a  little  new  enthusiasm 
into  the  work.  Some  were  growing  discouraged, 
and  there  was  an  impression  among  many  that 
the  Lagonda,  or  any  of  the  more  stylish  saloons, 
should  receive  the  same  attention  as  the  lowest. 
I  sent  a  card  to  the  evening  paper,  requesting  a 
full  attendance  of  the  Crusaders  the  next  morn- 
ing. The  next  morning  we  came  together  in 
force  and  marched  out,  making  our  first  halt  in 
front  of  the  hotel.  It  was  rather  a  trying  time 
for  the  gallant  proprietor,  as  there  was  a  medical 
association  in  session  in  the  city,  and  many  of 
the  delegates,  as  well  as  other  travelers,  were 


MEMORIES    OF   THE   CRUSADE.  349 

stopping  with  him,  and  of  course  their  sympa- 
thies were  with  the  Crusaders.  But  I  fear  the 
proprietor  never  quite  forgave  me  afterwards. 
The  suspicion  had  crept  into  my  brain  that  our 
affable  landlord  was  coquetting  with  the  inno- 
cent and  unsuspecting  ladies  in  order  to  avert 
the  odium  that  would  attach  to  his  house  if  the 
Crusaders  should  visit  it  as  they  did  other  low 
doggeries. 

By  this  time  it  had  been  discovered  by  gentle- 
men looking  after  such  matters,  that  this  un  come- 
at-able  saloon  had,  like  all  others,  been  guilty  of 
illegal  selling,  and  prosecutions  were  iminent. 
Now  overtures  were  made  to  the  Crusaders  that 
a  surrender  would  be  made  to  them  of  the  drink- 
ing department  if  they  would  interfere  to  arrest 
the  prosecution,  and  consent  to  the  billiard 
department  remaining.  They  would  fix  it  up 
ever  so  nice !  and  it  would  be  innocent  amuse- 
ment !  and  the  ladies  could  come  in  any  time, 
day  or  evening,  and  witness  the  games. 

A  committee  was  appointed  to  act  in  the  case, 
but  one  of  the  ladies  thought  it  best  to  counsel  with 
me  before  they  should  decide.  I  told  them  it  would 
only  be  justice  to  the  Crusaders  who  had  worked 
so  hard  and  endured  so  much,  to  let  them,  by 
vote,  decide  the  question.  I  had  a  pretty  strong 
impression  that  many  of  those  sisters,  if  they 
understood  the  case  clearly, — especially  the  old- 
time  Methodists — would  hardly  see  their  way  to 
indorsing  billiard  halls  and  billiard  playing.  I 
did  not,  however,  give  any  opinion  of  my  own, 


350  MEMORIES  OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

but  told  the  committee  I  would  go  up  and  learn 
what  I  could  of  the  matter.  The  fact  was,  I  did 
not  approve  of  the  Crusaders  interfering  to  arrest 
the  course  of  the  law  in  such  cases — though  I 
did  not  say  this  either.  We  were  professing 
not  to  meddle  with  the  law,  and  I  felt  that  we 
had  no  more  right  to  meddle  with  the  just  en- 
forcement of  the  law  in  the  proper  hands  than 
we  had  to  take  it  into  our  own.  A  good  many 
of  those  law-breakers  over  the  country,  when 
they  found  themselves  in  danger  of  prosecution, 
with  heavy  fines  and  costs,  suddenly  became 
very  penitent,  and  appealed  to  the  ladies  to 
stand  between  them  and  justice.  But  somehow, 
before  I  reached  headquarters,  the  word  had 
gone  out  (how  strangely  things  will  go!)  that 
"  Mother  Stewart  opposed  the  measure,  was 
opposed  to  billiards,"  and  all  the  rest,  of  it. 
And  so  Mother  Stewart  again  became  the  one 
to  be  sent  to  the  wilderness,  as  she  had  often 
been  before,  and  was  many  times  after.  Who- 
ever thinks  the  path  of  a  reformer  is  all  strewn 
with  roses  has  little  knowledge  of  the  facts. 
However,  the  little  scheme  came  to  naught.  I 
S  am  happy  to  record  that  the  proprietor  of  the 
saloon  soon  severed  all  connection  with  the 
business,  and  has  for  years  been  a  member  of 
the  church  and  an  active  Prohibitionist. 

BUCYRUS — SECOND   VISIT. 

I  have  mentioned  the  fact  of  my  first  visit  to 
Bucyrus.     It  was  not  long  after  this — the  5th  of 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  35! 

May — that  the  ladies  had  a  serious  trouble. 
Bucyrus  has  a  large  population  of  the  lower 
class  of  foreigners.  Ignorant,  beer-drinking, 
they  were  willing  tools  of  the  saloon-keepers,  to 
do  their  bidding  when  told  they  were  in  danger 
of  being  deprived  of  their  swill.  Of  course,  in 
such  a  community,  the  liquor  men  had  mayor 
and  police  of  their  own  electing. 

A  proclamation  was,  on  the  above  date,  issued 
by  the  mayor,  notifying  the  women — these  were 
native-born  Christian  ladies — to  refrain  from 
their  praying  on  the  streets.  This  brave  mayor, 
the  more  effectually  to  enforce  his  proclamation, 
swore  in  some  fifty  low,  drunken  ruffians,  and 
armed  them  with  hickory  bludgeons,  bought 
with  the  people's  money,  with  which  to  make 
war  on  those  praying  women.  The  President  of 
the  League,  Mrs.  O' Fling,  was  a  frail  little  body 
at  least  seventy  years  old,  and  so  small  that  an 
ordinary  man  could  pick  her  up  in  his  arms  and 
carry  her  as  a  child. 

This  old  saint  was  set  upon  as  she  led  her 
band,  by  those  ruffians,  pushed  into  a  cellar  way 
and  her  arm  lacerated  to  the  bone,  and  dragged 
by  one  of  them  a  square  or  more,  till  she 
appealed  to  a  barber,  and  he  came  to  her  rescue. 
He  ordered  the  fellow  to  desist,  snying  that 
was  his  premises,  and  she  had  a  right  to  pray 
there  if  she  pleased. 

Another  of  the  same  gentlemen  (?)  assaulted 
a  lady  while  on  her  knees,  praying,  and  dragged 
her  quite  a  distance  from  her  comrades,  order- 


352  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

ing  her  to  remain  there.  But  she  answered,  "My 
mother  is  there,  and  I  will  go  to  her."  Three  dif- 
ferent times  he  thus  dragged  her  away,  till  at 
length  she  dropped  on  her  knees  and  cried  to  God 
in  his  behalf,  when  he  walked  way,  saying  he 
would  have  nothing  more  to  do  with  the  matter. 
This  lady,  also  a  very  little  mite  of  a  woman,  was 
Mrs.  Robinson,  daughter  of  the  President,  and  has 
since  become  known  as  among  the  most  powerful 
revivalists  in  the  United  States.  The  ladies 
insisted  upon  being  arrested  if  they  were  guilty 
of  any  offense,  but  protested  against  being 
set  upon  and  pushed  and  dragged  as  if  they 
were  riotous,  drunken  men.  Most  of  these 
special  police  were  drunk  at  the  time.  The 
editor  of  the  Bucyrus  Journal  says : 

They  experienced  every  indignity  but  a  square 
blow;  such  cowardly  blows  as  could  be  secretly 
given,  seizures,  and  violent  pushes,  amounting  in 
effect  to  blows,  were  given  continually.  But  the 
brave  band  held  its  ground,  retired  from  the  pave- 
ment to  the  curb  in  front,  stood  at  bay  and  defied 
the  cowards,  who,  if  they  had  had  any  manhood 
whatever,  would  have  suffered  themselves  blows  and 
kicks  without  number  rather  than  thus  to  have  out- 
raged manhood  by  such  treatment  of  women. 

The  writer  was  present  and  only  writes  what  he 
saw  and  heard.  One  miserable  dog,  who  has  not 
done  an  honest  day's  work  for  years,  approached 
two  ladies,  and  standing  opposite  them,  after  they 
had  brought  the  specials  to  bay  and  defied  them, 
cursed  and  blasphemed  in  vindication  of  his  man- 
hood. (Utterances  I  omit.) 

Such  outrageous  conduct  from  a  miserable  coward, 
sworn  in  to  preserve  order,  was  intolerable,  and  we 
went  immediately  to  the  mayor's  office.  Here  the 
mayor  was  engaged  in  assessing  a  fine  of  five  dollars, 
with  a  dollar  for  costs,  on  a  stranger  by  the  name  of 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  353 

Ferguson,  a  gentleman  from  Delaware,  who  had 
committed  the  heinous  enormity  of  saving  a  lady 
from  falling  into  a  cellar  into  which  she  had  been 
pushed  by  one  of  the  mayor's  pets. 

If,  now  that  the  excitement  has  passed,  the 
fine  remains  unremitted,  it  is  downright  robbery. 
We  are  sorry  that  this  is  not  actionable.  If  the 
mayor  be  an  honorable  gentleman  he  will  refund  it; 
if  it  stands  unrefunded  it  stands  a  ruffianly  outrage 
upon  a  citizen's  liberties  and  rights,  without  any 
excuse  or  palliation  whatever.  A  more  damnable, 
iniquitous  series  of  infernal  outrages  were  never 
•  •tit-red  to  ladies,  and  these  the  wives,  daughters  and 
mothers  of  the  best  men  in  this  community,  suffering 
these  infamous  outrages  because  they  dared  to  sing 
and  pray  on  the  streets  against  drunkenness. 

The  editor  again  appealed  to  the  mayor  and 
obtained  this  much:  "My  instructions  to  the 
special  police  are,  to  use  no  violence,  either  to 
the  women  or  to  the  men.  And  if  any  such 
violence  has  been  used,  I  shall  instruct  the  police 
immediately  to  desist  from  it. "  This,  the  editor, 
Mr.  Hopley,  immediately  caused  to  be  printed 
on  hand-bills  and  freely  circulated.  This  in- 
formed the  citizens  of  what  rights  they  had 
remaining,  and  several  warrants  were  sworn  out 
against  these  policemen  for  assault  and  battery, 
which  intimidated  the  ruffians  so  the  ladies  were 
not  molested  when  they  next  went  out. 

But  you  are  impatiently  waiting  an  oppor- 
tunity to  ask,  where  were  the  husbands,  fathers 
and  sons  of  these  women  ?  Simply  out  of  sight, 
or  under  solemn  promise  to  their  wives  and 
mothers,  under  whatever  circumstances  might 
befall,  not  to  interfere  or  lift  hand  or  voice  in 
their  defence.  The  liquor  men  would  have 

(23) 


354  MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE, 

delighted  in  such  opportunity  —  would  have 
liked  nothing  so  well.  The  result  would  have 
been  a  general  riot  and  bloodshed.  Gen- 
tlemen told  me  they  stood  with  clenched  fists 
and  grinding  teeth,  looking  on,  exerting  the 
utmost  self-control  to  restrain  themselves  from 
rushing  into  that  drunken  mob  and  protecting 
their  defenseless  wives.  One  man  who  loved 
his  wife  most  tenderly,  when  he  found  the 
threatening  storm  was  gathering,  told  her  he 
could  not  let  her  go  out  and  expose  herself  to 
the  fury  of  those  wretches.  So  she  acquiesced 
and  remained  at  home  till  the  husband  came  in 
for  dinner,  when  he  exclaimed:  "Wife,  it  is 
wrong  for  me  to  detain  you  from  joining  your 
sisters.  I  tell  you  how  we  will  fix  it.  We  will 
send  the  older  children  to  school  and  I  will 
remain  with  the  baby, — and  do  you  go  and  join 
your  companions.  If  there  is  no  one  else 
to  take  care  of  the  baby,  I  will  be  obliged  to 
stay  with  it,  and  shall  not  see  the  wretches  if 
they  do  insult  you."  And  so  the  dear,  little 
woman  hied  away  to  join  her  comrades,  while 
the  husband  remained  at  home  enduring  intense 
solicitude  for  his  beloved  wife. 

The  news  of  the  outrages  upon  the  Crusaders 
at  Bucyrus  flashed  over  the  country,  creating 
great  excitement  and  indignation. 

Just  at  this  time  I  was  on  my  way  to  Upper 
Sandusky,  and  I  sent  a  telegram  to  the  Bucyrus 
friends  to  meet  me  at  the  station.  When  I 
arrived  they  were  waiting  for  me ;  I  spoke  what 


MEMORIES    OF   THE   CRUSADE.  355 

words  of  cheer  I  could,  and  sped  on,  promising 
to  come  to  them  as  soon  as  possible.  Friday, 
the  8th,  I  telegraphed  them  I  was  coming  with 
a  large  delegation  of  ladies  and  gentlemen. 

They  met  us  at  the  train  and  escorted  us  to 
the  church  where  they  held  their  morning  meet- 
ings. The  poor  ladies  were  very  much  depressed 
and  discouraged,  and  Sister  O'Fling  explained 
that  she  feared  I  would  be  disappointed,  but  by 
•advice  of  the  brethren  they  had  declared  a  truce 
for  a  time,  and  would  not  go  out  that  day.  The 
brethren  had  said  they  would  prosecute  some  of 
those  ruffians  who  had  so  maltreated  the  women. 
I  said  I  would  like  a  little  information ;  a  truce 
was  an  agreement  between  two  hostile  forces  to 
cease  hostilities  for  a  specified  time.  If,  now, 
the  other  party — the  liquor  men — had  agreed 
also  to  cease  their  selling  for  the  given  time,  it 
was  a  proper  compact,  and  it  would  be  all  right 
to  keep  it.  "Oh!"  said  the  President,  "I 
see!"  (I  saw  they  were  in  danger  of  letting 
the  saloon  keepers  claim  a  triumph  over  them.) 

Just  then  Col.  Butterfield,  brother-in-law  of 
the  world  renowned  Pere  Hyacinth,  arose  and 
remarked  that  he  had  always  been  a  conserva- 
tive, but  when  he,  yesterday,  in  the  justice's 
court,  saw  a  venerable  lady  bare  her  arm  to  the 
elbow,  and  expose  it,  all  lacerated  to  the  bone 
by  one  of  the  cowardly  ruffians  hired  by  the 
mayor  to  abuse  those  defenseless  women,  he 
became  a  radical,  and  he  was  a  radical  hence- 
forth forever.  "Now,"  he  added,  "I  do  not 


356  MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

propose  to  offer  any  advice,  but  I  will  express  a 
hope,  which  is  made  up  of  desire  and  expecta- 
tion:  I  hope  the  ladies  will  move  out. "  Accord- 
ingly the  procession  was  formed  and  the  ladies 
took  up  their  line  of  march. 

As  I  was  too  weary  to  join  them  in  the  march, 
Col.  B.  procured  a  carriage  and  I  was  driven 
after,  and  came  up  with  the  band  as  they  were 
singing  in  front  of  Shaw's  saloon.  This  man 
had  been  very  rough  and  insulting  to  the  ladies, 
but  it  was  said  of  him,  when  not  under  the 
influence  of  liquor,  he  was  a  decently  behaved 
man.  He  stood  on  his  step,  leaning  against  the 
door,  and  there  was  quite  a  crowd  around,  but 
they  were  orderly  and  respectful.  I  studied  the 
man  while  the  ladies  were  praying,  and  when 
they  arose  to  sing  I  stepped  out  of  the  carriage 
and  approached  him,  introducing  myself  and 
shook  hands  with  him.  "Oh,"  he  said,  "I  am 
a  pretty  clever  fellow,  if  people  treat  me  right." 
I  told  him  I  meant  to  treat  him  right,  and  talked 
with  him  a  few  minutes  as  well  as  I  knew  how. 
When  the  sisters  had  finished  their  song,  I  knelt 
and  offered  up  a  prayer  with  such  utterance  as 
came  to  me.  I  do  not  know  what  I  did  say, 
except  that  we  did  not  come  to  set  up  our 
own  righteousness  above  others;  we  were  all 
sinners,  only  saved  by  grace.  When  I  arose  he 
stepped  down  to  me,  saying;  :'  Mother  Stewart, 
I  want  to  take  you  by  the  hand  again  ;  that  was 
a  first-rate  prayer;  you  can  pray  at  my  place 
any  time."  Then  he  corrected  himself, — "  Not 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  357 

iere,  but  at  my  house ;  come  and  pray  at  my 
house  with  my  wife  and  family  any  time."  I 
thanked  him  and  said,  "I  would  be  most  happy 
to  do  so  when  I  came  again,"  and  I  intended  to 
remember  the  invitation  and  promise,  but  it 
turned  out  that  I  did  not  visit  Bucyrus  again. 

After  the  Crusaders  had  made  their  visits  to 
the  several  places,  no  molestation  being  offered, 
they  escorted  me  to  the  public  square,  where  a 
large  crowd  had  collected,  and  I  stood  in  the 
carnage  and  addressed  them,  then  knelt  and 
prayed  with  and  for  them.  A  photographer,  I 
learned  afterwards,  taking  advantage  of  the 
strange  scene,  turned  his  camera  upon  and 
caught  it. 

I  have  given  this,  as  other  similar  cases,  not 
simply  to  narrate  the  facts,  but  for  a  double 
purpose,  and  while  I  propose  to  avoid  all  prosy 
moralizing,  I  write  with  the  hope  that  the 
thoughtful  reader  will  see  and  lay  to  heart  the 
moral  for  every  loyal  citizen  who  loves  his 
country  and  the  liberties  our  fathers  shed  their 
blood  to  bequeath  to  us.  Oh,  why  is  it  that 
men  cannot  learn  the  lessons  these  scenes  were 
calculated  to  teach  ?  These  poor,  frail  women, 
wherever  insulted  and  abused,  or  imprisoned, 
were  doing  greatly  more  than  they  knew  or 
thought  of,  in  proving  to  the  better  portion  of 
the  men  of  the  nation  that  our  liberties  have 
already  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  lowest, 
most  dangerous  classes,  and  these  are  swayed  by 
the  liquor  power  as  they  will.  The  lesson  was 


358  MEMORIES  OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

not  heeded  ;  our  men,  for  the  sake  of  the  politi- 
cal influence  of  that  power,  have  not  only  per- 
mitted such  outrages  in  silence,  but  have  bowed 
and  cringed  to  those  miscreants  till  all  our  holy 
institutions  are  jeopardized,  and  it  is  only  a 
question  of  time  when  anarchy  and  misrule  shall 
triumph.  Is  not  this  the  case  in  every  city  in 
our  land  to-day  ?  Oh  !  would  that  I  could  utter 
some  word  that  men  would  hear  and  heed  ! 

WHITELEY'S  SPEECH — A  FIELD  NIGHT  IN  THE 
SPRINGFIELD  CITY  COUNCIL  CHAMBER. 

Though  the  petition  of  the  600  ladies  of 
Springfield  to  the  City  Council,  praying  that 
honorable  body  to  pass  the  McConnelsville 
Ordinance,  had  so  signally  failed,  the  women 
were  by  no  means  disposed  to  give  the  matter 
up.  A  few  weeks  later,  another  appeal  was 
prepared  by  our  very  efficient  Secretary,  Mrs. 
Guy,  and  duly  presented  to  the  Council  by  a 
committee  of  gentlemen  appointed  for  the  pur- 
pose, and — laid  on  the  table.  But  the  ladies  of 
the  Executive  Committee  kept  the  matter  in 
mind,  and  frequently  urged  the  brethren  to  insist 
upon  its  being  brought  forward  and  acted  upon. 
They  were  very  much  surprised,  and  not  a  little 
indignant,  at  length,  to  find  that  the  gentlemen 
were  not  disposed  to  urge  the  matter  till  after 
election.  But  after  a  good  deal  of  animated 
discussion,  it  being  put  to  vote,  the  gentlemen 
carried  their  point,  and  it  was  permitted  to  lie 
in  peace  till  after  election. 


MEMORIES    OF    THE    CRUSADE.  359 

At  length,  on  the  night  of  the  igth  of  May, 
in  the  course  of  deliberative  legislation,  the 
time  for  action  on  the  long  pending  petition 
came  up.  One  member  was  absent,  and  the 
friends  of  the  petition,  seeing  defeat  if  brought  to 
a  vote  under  the  circumstances,  moved  to  lay  it 
on  the  table  for  one  week.  This  the  opponents 
voted  down.  There  was  nothing  for  it  now  but 
the  final  vote  and  certain  defeat.  At  this 
juncture  Mr.  Wm.  N.  Whiteley,  who  had  not 
spoken  before,  arose,  saying  he  had  a  few  remarks 
to  make  on  the  subject  under  discussion. 

It  was  now  9:45  p.  M.  He  proceeded  with 
the  most  remarkable  temperance  speech  in  all 
this  remarkable  campaign,  or  any  other,  I  pre- 
sume. It  must  be  stated  here  that  Mr.  Whiteley 
is  not  a  public  speaker  in  any  sense  of  the  word. 
But  I  had  long  before  this  discovered,  in  conver- 
sation with  him,  that  he  held  strong  common- 
sense  views,  and  was  well  posted  as  to  the  evils 
that  result  from  tolerating  the  liquor  traffic. 
Says  the  reporter: 

It  was  emphatically  the  champion  temperance 
speech  of  the  Crusade,  and  one  of  the  sort  sometimes 
heard  that  are  not  reportable.  An  hour  passed ; 
another,  and  still  another,  with  Mr.  Whiteley  still  in 
the  midst  of  his  review  of  the  ordinance  as  it  stood, 
clause  by  clause,  and  section  by  section,  together 
with  eloquent  allusions  to  the  temperance  cause  here, 
and  the  work  of  the  women,  to  the  surprise  of  the 
audience,  who  knew  the  speaker's  resemblance  to 
General  Grant,  in  that  he  never  makes  speeches. 
The  hours  passed  till  long  after  midnight,  the  lobby 
thinned  down  to  three  persons,  and  some  of  the 
members  retired  to  the  ante-room  to  talk  of  the 


360  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

prospect  of  a  short  nap  before  morning,  or  to  while 
away  the  time  with  a  cigar.  About  three  o'clock  an 
ample  lunch  was  brought  in  from  the  adjacent 
restaurant,  and  through  all,  the  speaking  went  on 
without  a  pause,  except  once,  and  only  once,  for  a 
drink  of  water  which  the  speaker  took. 

Mr.  Whiteley  declined  to  yield  the  floor  except  for 
an  adjournment.  He  made  some  splendid  points, 
proof  against  argument  or  sneers,  saying  that  the 
people  demanded  something  of  the  kind,  and  a 
majority  had  so  expressed  themselves  at  the  recent 
election.  The  day  dawned,  the  sun  arose,  gas  was 
turned  off  in  the  chamber,  but  there  was  no  sign  of 
weariness  on  Mr.  Whiteley's  part.  He  stood  as 
steadily  and  spoke  his  words  as  plainly  and  glibly  as 
at  the  beginning. 

At  5:30  a  motion  was  put  and  carried  by  a  large 
majority  for  adjournment.  To  the  last  hour  Mr. 
W.'s  effort  was  really  grand  in  its  eloquence  and 
directness,  his  earnestness  seeming  to  increase  every 
moment. 

It  is  to  be  remembered  that  this  speech  was 
addressed,  not  to  a  crowded  house  of  enthusiastic 
listeners,  but  to  less  than  a  dozen  sleepy,  indiffer- 
ent councilmen.  "Many  a  polished  orator," 
says  the  reporter,  ' '  might  have  gained  a  lesson 
from  this  speaker,  both  in  language  and  manner. " 

After  speaking  for  seven  hours  and  three-quarters 
the  gentleman  declared  that  he  felt  as  bright  as 
the  morning  star,  and  could  go  on  till  noon  if 
necessary. 

And  so  the  "  day  of  doom  "  for  our  ordinance 
was  deferred. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 


Pittsburgh  Crusaders  Imprisoned — Riot  Averted. 


•  BOUT  the  1 2th  of  May,  I  received  letters 
from  Cleveland  and  Cincinnati  by  same 
mail,  asking  me  to  come  to  them,  the 
Secretary  of  the  Cincinnati  Union  saying  their 
work  was  languishing  and  they  needed  to  take  a 
new  departure.  The  Secretary  of  the  Cleveland 
Union  wrote  (I  copy  from  the  letter  before 
me ),  "  We  want  you  to  speak  for  us  at  a  mass- 
meeting  Thursday  evening,  May  2ist,  on  the 
relation  of  band  work  to  the  temperance  move- 
ment, and  to  do  all  you  can  to  get  the  ladies  out 
onto  the  street  to  pray.  We  have  done  as  well 
as  could  be  expected  for  eight  weeks,  and  we 
feel  that  we  need  a  little  help." 

I  was  at  the  time  engaged  for  a  series  of  meet- 
ings in  Pennsylvania,  but  wrote  to  each  that  I* 
would  be  with  them  as  soon  as  possible,  giving 
Cleveland  the  first  date,  as  I  was  nearer  to  that 
city  than  to  Cincinnati.  Upon  my  arrival  I 
found  they  were  not  ready  for  me.  The  Secre- 
tary had  been  away,  was  weary,  and  sent  her 
husband  to  tell  me  this.  The  good  sisters  did 
not  seem  to  realize  the  value  of  my  time,  but 

361 


362  MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

my  calls  were  so  urgent  I  felt  that  I  could  not 
lose  any  time  unnecessarily,  so  my  hostess,  dear 

Sister  P ,  sent  a  notice  to  the  press  for  an 

evening  meeting,  and  though  the  time  was  so 
short,  there  was  a  very  fine  audience.  I  an- 
nounced at  the  close  that  I  would  meet  the 
Crusaders  next  morning.  The  hope  had  been 
expressed  by  the  Secretary's  husband  that  I 
might  in  a  few  days  get  the  ladies  so  aroused 
that  I  would  be  able  to  lead  five  hundred  onto 
the  street  again. 

Nothing  was  said  to  me  of  the  advice  having 
been  given  to  the  ladies  by  some  of  the  leading 
men  to  give  up  their  street  work,  nor  of  their 
promise  that  if  they  would,  they — the  gentlemen 
— would  take  measures  to  enforce  the  laws  and 
to  prosecute  any  who  should  lay  themselves 
liable.  The  women  were  left  in  uncertainty  as 
to  the  best  plan  of  prosecuting  their  work,  but  I 
knew  nothing  of  all  this  till  afterwards.  There 
was  quite  a  full  meeting  the  next  morning,  and 
we  had  a  precious  season  of  prayer  and  counsel. 
A  gentleman  present — not  a  professor  of  religion 
— said,  "there  had  not  been  such  an  evident 
manifestation  of  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
since  the  first  day  of  the  Crusade."  The  sisters 
were  wrought  up  to  the  highest  degree  of  enthu- 
siasm, and  ready  to  act  upon  any  suggestion, 
and  I  knew  if  I  got  them  out,  that  was  the 
auspicious  time.  I  closed  my  address  by  asking 
how  many  ladies  would  join  me,— -I  would  be 
sorry  to  leave  Cleveland  without  the  privilege 


MEMORIES   OF   THE    CRUSADE.  363 

of  praying  on  the  street  with  them.  Nearly 
every  lady  in  the  church  arose  to  her  feet. 

Just  then  a  lady  made  her  way  through  the 
crowded  room  to  the  platform  and  said,,  ' '  We 
don't  think  it  advisable  to  move  out  onto  the 
street."  As  the  Secretary  had  written  me  to 
come  to  them  for  this  purpose,  I,  of  course,  was 
not  a  little  surprised,  and  in  the  only  curt  tone  I 
ever  used  to  anyone  in  my  temperance  work  I 
asked  who  she  was ?  "Mrs.  Rev.  -  — ,"  was 
the  reply.  I  turned  to  the  Secretary  and  told 
her  this  woman  had  said  it  was  not  thought 
expedient  to  form  the  procession.  This  seemed 
to  disconcert  her,  and  she  deliberated  a  little 
while,  the  ladies  still  standing.  Finally  she  re- 
marked that  ' '  all  ladies  who  felt  free  to,  would 
fall  into  line  and  follow  Mother  Stewart." 

About  two  hundred  ladies  formed  in  line,  but 
all  felt  that  we  had  had  a  douche  of  cold  water, 
but  could  not  tell  from  whence.  I  learned  after- 
wards that  this  lady,  the  President,  and  three  or 
four  others,  remained  to  sit  in  judgment  on 
Mother  Stewart,  who  was  still  unconscious  of 
the  cause  of  the  trouble.  As  we  moved  along, 
the  Secretary  informed  me  that  the  mayor  had 
ordered  that  the  Crusaders  should  not  stop  or 
pray  on  the  street,  but  there  was  one  saloon- 
keeper who  permitted  the  ladies  to  go  into  his 
place,  and  there  was  a  vacant  lot  where  they 
had  the  privilege  of  praying.  We  visited  those 
places  and  then  marched  to  the  public  square, 
where,  from  the  stand,  I  addressed  the  great 


364  MEMORIES   OF   THE    CRUSADE. 

crowd  that  had  gathered.  They  were  quiet  and 
respectful. 

In  the  afternoon  I  met  and  addressed  the 
Band  on  the  West  Side,  and  led  them  out.  We 
all  felt  it  to  be  a  blessed  occasion.  At  night  we 
had  a  public  meeting,  but  before  I  reached  the 
evening  meeting  I  found  there  was  a  fearful 
thunder-cloud  over  my  head,  but  still  ignorant 
of  source  or  cause.  By  this  time  I  noticed  that 
the  Secretary's  manner  towards  me  had  changed. 

Rev.  Mr.  Nast,  son  of  the  venerable  Dr. 
Nast,  editor  of  the  Methodist  Apologist,  pre- 
sided. Before  opening  the  meeting,  he  asked 
me  if  I  had  seen  the  papers  of  that  day.  I 
said  I  had  not.  He  seemed  greatly  disturbed, 
and  said  there  were  infamous  attacks  upon  me 
in  them.  The  German  paper  had  a  most 
indecent  article  in  reference  to  me.  He  made  a 
grand  opening  address,  so  kindly  endorsing  me, 
and  made  some  scathing  charges  upon  the  press 
and  the  beer-drinking  German  population — he 
being  a  German  himself.  1  followed  him  as  well 
as  I  could,  but  you  can  imagine  what  my  feel- 
ings must  have  been. 

At  the  close  of  the  meeting  that  big-hearted 
Brother  Preston  and  his  wife  took  me  to  their 
home  in  East  Cleveland.  He  has  since  gone 
over  to  the  other  shore,  and  I  believe  he  has 
received  his  reward,  for  he  was  to  the  wounded, 
fainting  toiler,  in  very  deed,  a  good  Samaritan. 
He  was  so  filled  with  indignation  because  of  the 
systematic  persecution  that  had  been  set  upon 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  365 

me,  that  he  could  not  find  words  to  express  it. 
The  next  day  he  took  me  out  to  dinner  with 
those  blessed,  saintly  Shakers,  who,  with  their 
gentle,  loving  words  of  sympathy,  soothed  and 
encouraged  me.  Friend  James  promised  Brother 
Preston  that  he  would  bring  a  company  of  his 
household  in  to  the  evening  meeting.  That 
afternoon  I  met  the  ladies  again,  and  after  the 
services  I  saw  them  form  their  procession.  Mrs. 
S.  K.  Bolton,  a  lady  who  has  since  won  a  wide 
reputation  in  the  field  of  literature,  led  the  band, 
while  I  was  so  prostrated  by  the  experiences  I 
had  been  passing  through,  that  I  was  obliged  to 
take  my  bed  to  recuperate  for  the  evening.  But 
lo !  I  had  become  a  terror  to  the  whole  city ! 
The  mayor  had  been  notified,  and  had  sent  out 
a  squad  of  policemen  to  see  that  I  did  not  tip 
the  city  into  the  lake,  or  do  some  other  dreadful 
thing.  It  seemed  a  Providence  for  me  that  I 
was  not  able  to  accompany  the  band.  One  of 
the  mayor's  valiant  men  hurried  up  to  Mrs. 
Bolton  and  asked  her  if  she  was  Mother  Stewart ! 
Mrs.  Bolton  was  young  and  handsome — 
Mother  Sewart  indeed !  He  was  very  sorry 
to  intrude  upon  her,  but  he  had  orders  from 
the  mayor  to  see  that  the  women  should  not 
stop  a  moment  on  the  street,  and  he  would 
have  to  arrest  them  if  they  attempted  to 
pray  on  the  street.  One  of  the  city  papers, 
commenting  on  this  outrage  upon  the  Christian 
ladies,  said :  ' '  That  same  day,  three  several 
times  the  writer  had  seen  the  sidewalks  obstructed 


366  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

by  crowds,  once  by  a  dog  fight,  yet  no  notice 
was  taken  of  it  by  the  police." 

That  night  there  was  a  crowded  house.  Friend 
James  had  his  company  of  quiet,  praying  women 
filling  two  pews  just  in  front,  and  near  me.  A 
note  was  sent  up  before  I  commenced  my  lecture, 
requesting  me  to  speak  on  ' '  Radicalism  versus 
Conservatism  in  the  Temperance  and  all  other 
reform  work,"  with  the  names  of  fifteen  gentle- 
men attached,  and  a  foot-note  saying,  "and  a 
thousand  more."  I  never  spoke  with  greater 
ease  in  my  life.  The  cheers  were  frequent  and 
hearty  throughout.  Did  the  blessed,  soothing 
influence  and  prayers  of  those  pious  Shakers 
help  me  ?  Yes.  And  my  Father  did  sustain 
me  in  that  trying  ordeal.  Here  are  letters  at 
my  hand  saying  words  too  kind  and  flattering  to 
repeat  in  regard  to  the  success  and  results  of  my 
last  night  in  Cleveland. 

This  was  my  second  great  wound  in  my  work. 
I  may  possibly  have  been  too  tedious  in  the 
narrative,  but  the  persecution  inaugurated  at 
that  time  did  not  end  there.  I  have  not  had  the 
honor  of  suffering  imprisonment  for  the  sake  of 
my  cause,  as  my  sisters  did  in  different  places, 
but  I  was  in  perils  oft,  among — politicians — 
wasn't  it?  though  it  took  me  a  good  while  to 
understand  it.  It  was  a  matter  of  no  little 
speculation  with  me  as  to  who  it  was  and  what 
the  motive  that  stirred  up  that  commotion  and 
set  the  mayor  and  his  police  to  hounding  me. 
There  were  not  half  a  dozen  of  the  Crusaders 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  367 

who  were  not  in  warmest  sympathy  with  me, 
and  I  have  many  times  since  had  evidence  of 
their  abiding  friendship.  Mrs.  P-  — ,  the  lady 
who  entertained  me,  told  me,  Friday  morning, 
that  a  howling  mob  of  ruffians  passed  through 
the  street  in  the  night  and  it  was  their  presump- 
tion that  they  were  seeking  the  house  where  I 
was  stopping.  I  heard  nothing  of  them,  how- 
ever. 

The  Cleveland  Leader  of  the  next  day,  in  a 
very  full  account  of  Thursday's  proceedings, 
says : 

Word  had  been  brought  to  the  police  headquarters 
that  terrible  things  were  tc  be  done.  It  was  there 
rumored  that  Mrs.  Stewart  was  to  lead  a  band  of  five 
hundred  women  upon  the  street;  that  they  intended 
to  hold  services  upon  the  pa  ement,  and  bid  defiance 
to  the  police  and  to  the  law  in  gene  al.  That  this 
rumor  was  groundless,  is  well  known  by  any  who 
are  conversant  with  the  tactics  adopted  by  the  ladies. 
But  the  police  authorities  were  alarmed  at  any  such 
demonstration,  and  determined  to  prevent  it.  A 
sergeant  and  six  or  eight  men  who  had  been  present 
for  drill,  were  ordered  to  the  scene  of  action.  The 
word  that  the  police  were  coming  soon  gathered  a 
large  crowd  to  see  the  ladies  arrested  and  enact 
Pittsburgh  and  Cincinnati  in  our  midst.  Every 
loafer  and  lounger  along  the  street  fell  into  line, 
bound  to  see  the  fun.  The  saloon-keepers  along  the 
route  were  radiant  with  happiness,  and  several  of 
them  fell  into  line.  During  the  conversation  between 
Mrs.  Bolton  and  the  sergeant,  a  man  named  A. 
P.ri'lii.'M,  who  lived  upon  the  West  Side,  a  respect- 
able man  and  a  local  minister,  expressed  the  opinion 
thnt  the  interference  of  the  police  was  uncalled  for. 
This  led  to  a  reply  from  an  officer,  who  thereupon 
arrested  Mr.  Bradfield  and  marched  him  off  to  the 
station-house.  He  was  charged  upon  the  blotter 
with  obstructing  an  officer  in  the  discharge  of  his 


368  MEMORIES  OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

duty.  Judge  Abbey  accepted  bail  and  Mr.  Brad- 
field  was  set  free.  *  *  *  Consistency  is  a  jewel 
that  does  not  shine  in  certain  quarters.  A  squad  of 
eight  police  was  sent  to  clear  the  pavement  of  some 
forty  odd  women  who  possibly  might  pray  upon  the 
sidewalk,  while  last  evening  some  forty  or  fifty  men 
stood  for  half  an  hour  on  the  corner  of  Superior 
street  and  the  public  square,  listening  to  the  fiddling 
of  a  wandering  tramp.  A  little  while  later,  three 
crowds  were  gathered  on  the  corner  of  Superior  and 
Seneca  streets;  in  the  center  of  one  another  peddler 
was  giving  vent  to  music.  In  another  a  ventriloquist 
made  himself  heard,  and  the  third  was  a  quack  of 
another  stripe.  It  was  expected  that  a  squad  of 
police  would  come  in  sight,  but  they  did  not,  and 
ladies  who  passed  those  corners  were  obliged  to  step 
into  the  street  on  account  of  the  blockade  of  the 
pavement. 

I  never  have  known  the  origin  of  this  affair, 
but  I  have  good  reason  to  believe,  and  others 
have  told  me  they  knew  it  was  because  of  my 
known  Prohibition  principles.  Cleveland  is  built 
on  beer  ! 

THE  NEW  DEPARTURE  COME. 

The  Christian  women  of  Cincinnati  com- 
menced their  work  by  a  called  meeting  on  Feb- 
ruary 6th,  held  in  the  First  Presbyterian  church 
and  presided  over  by  Mrs.  Rev.  Chas.  Ferguson. 
They  at  once  entered  upon  systematic  and  ener- 
getic work,  and  were  subjected  to  the  usual 
treatment  of  ridicule,  insult,  abuse,  stones  and 
mud.  (  Our  Prohibition  brethren  will  take  notice 
that  we  got  the  mud  before  they  did.)  But  the 
brave  Cincinnati  Crusaders  went  on,  neither 
failing  nor  faltering.  Pledges  were  diligently 
circulated  and  a  large  list  of  signers  obtained. 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  369 

Thus  they  aroused  the  public  and  increased  their 
numbers  and  strength  to  take  up  the  street  work, 
still  holding  public  meetings  and  reaching  out  to 
the  suburbs  and  forming  other  Leagues,  till  the 
liquor-dealers  began  to  see  that  the  Crusaders 
meant  business,  and  taking  alarm  they  declared 
"Something  must  be  done,"  for,  like  Demetrius 
of  old,  they  saw  their  craft  was  in  danger,  and 
so,  like  their  renowned  predecessor,  they  turned 
to  stir  up  the  whole  city  against  these  women 
who,  like  Paul,  were  interfering  with  their  un- 
godly gains. 

Immediately  upon  my  return  from  Cleveland 
I  hastened  to  the  assistance  of  my  sisters  in 
Cincinnati.  The  crisis  had  already  come,  the 
brave  Mayor  Johnson  (I  like  to  do  my  part 
towards  handing  these  illustrious  names  down  to 
posterity)  and  his  police,  instigated  by  the 
liquor  men,  had 

"  Descended  like  a  wolf  on  the  fold, 
With  their  cohorts  all  gleaming  with  purple  and  gold," 

or  something  else,  and  arrested  forty-three  ladies 
and  marched  them  off  to  prison.  It  was  coming 
to  be  the  fashionable  thing  to  make  war  on 
women  !  It  showed  off  manly  traits  of  bravery 
and  gallantry  to  such  good  advantage  !  Making 
war  on  men  has  its  disadvantages,  you  know. 
The  brave  policeman  may  possibly  meet  his 
match  in  physical  strength  or  prowess,  and  he 
may  get  the  worst  of  it — get  his  head  jammed  or 
his  regimentals  damaged,  br  worse  still,  his  head 
taken  off  at  the  next  election  !  No  such  danger 


370  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

in  making  war  on  women;  and  so  Cincinnati 
added  to  her  long  list  of  grand  and  glorious 
achievements,  that  of  arresting  these  Christian 
ladies,  wives  of  ministers  and  other  respectable 
citizens.  Their  offense  was,  that  they  prayed 
for  sinners. 

This  execution  of  law,  by  the  way,  was  expost- 
facto,  the  Crusaders  not  having  any  knowledge 
of  the  mayor's  intended  proclamation,  and 
having  marched  out  twenty  minutes  before  it 
was  published ;  I  have  not  the  list  of  these 
ladies,  though  many  are  personal  friends. 

Mrs.  S.  K.  Leavitt,  the  leader,  is  the  wife  of 
a  Baptist  minister ;  Mrs.  Rev.  McHugh  has 
gone  up  to  the  courts  above  ;  Mrs.  Rev,  W.  I. 
Fee  was  especially  obnoxious  and  dangerous — I 
think  she  must  have  weighed  nearly  a  hundred 
pounds,  maybe  not  more  than  ninety,  avoirdu- 
pois— and  though  she  is  a  woman  of  few  words 
and  low  voice,  she  was  so  remarkably  gifted  in 
prayer  that  a  reporter  took  one  of  her  prayers 
as  she  uttered  it  on  the  street.  Of  course  such 
a  woman  ought  to  go  to  jail — or  State's  prison. 
Then  there  were  Mrs.  Moore,  Mrs.  Huddleson, 
the  Secretary,  Mrs.  Rev.  Ferguson,  Mrs.  Fisher, 
Mrs.  Whitridge,  Mrs.  Dr.  Dalton,  Mrs.  Bishop 
Clark,  Mrs.  Geo.  Beecher  and  Mrs.McKinley. 

What  a  pity  Cincinnati  could  not  have  fore- 
seen the  oncoming  Crusaders  in  time  to  have  a 
frowning  and  bristling  bastile  ready  for  such 
offenders  against  the  peace  and  safety  of  that 
city  of  pure  morals  and  just  administration  of 


MEMORIES   OF   THE    CRUSADE.  37! 

law.  I  think  it  will  be  well  enough  for  her,  if 
she  has  been  able  to  meet  the  expense  of  rebuild- 
ing her  recently  demolished  court-house,  to 
provide  herself  with  a  bastile.  Who  knows  but 
any  day  again  some  Christian  women  may  take 
it  into  their  heads  to  pray  that  God  may  avert 
his  reserved  judgments  that  are  hanging  over  the 
city.  I  would  advise  that  she  appropriate  her 
saloon  tax  for  that  purpose. 

I  spent  several  days  with  the  sisters,  address- 
ing mass-meetings  in  the  various  churches  at 
night,  women's  meetings  mornings  and  after- 
noons ;  marched  with  them  to  the  Fountain 
esplanade,  and  from  a  table  addressed  the  crowds 
there ;  again  to  some  church,  where  from  the 
steps  I  spoke  to  the  people  who  still  followed 
us.  The  sisters  told  me  that  in  these  gatherings 
they  found  poor  creatures  who  said  they  had 
never  heard  of  Jesus,  the  Friend  of  sinners. 
Yes,  it  was  the  discreet  thing  for  the  mayor  to 
imprison  these  women  ;  they  were  carrying  to 
hungry,  starving  souls  the  bread  of  eternal  life. 

I  remember  that  in  one  of  my  addresses  I 
exhorted  the  sisters  to  cease  praying  for  the 
saloon-keepers  and  pray  for  the  business  men  of 
the  city.  Dr.  F.,  referring  to  it  afterwards, 
said:  "  Mother  Stewart,  you  must  have  been 
inspired  to  utter  that,  for  our  great  trouble  here 
is  the  total  indifference  of  the  business  men  to 
the  true  interests  of  our  city."  I  may  say  that 
the  forty-three  women  being  arraigned  before 
Judge  Marchant,  pleaded  "not  guilty,"  and 


3/2  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

after  some  show  of  investigating  the  case,  were 
discharged,  as  the  defendants  were  innocent  of 
any  willful  intent  of  breaking  the  law.  But  they 
were  admonished  that  they  ' '  must  not  do  it 
anymore."  Upon  what  is  Cincinnati  built? 

On  the  evening  of  May  23d  I  was  standing 
addressing  a  great  mass  meeting  in  New  Castle, 
Pa.,  when  a  telegram  dated  Pittsburgh,  May  23d, 
was  handed  me.  It  was  addressed  to  me,  saying  : 
"  Ladies  arrested  yesterday,  but  going  out  in 
full  force  this  afternoon, '  ready  to  die  for  the 
Master  if  need  be.  Pray  for  them."  Signed  R. 
E.  Graves.  We  at  once  sent  back  a  telegram 
of  sympathy  and  encouragement. 

I  recently  wrote  my  friend,  Mrs.  Lord,  now 
of  the  South,  but  then  Mrs.  Hill,  the  very 
efficient  Secretary  of  the  Pittsburgh  Union,  for 
an  account  of  that  never-to-be-forgotten  day  and 
its  scenes  in  Pittsburgh.  I  had  it  oft  repeated, 
but  desired  to  let  one  of  the  brave  participants 
tell  it  in  her  own  language.  She  writes : 

Our  praying  bands  had  been  on  the  streets  for 
some  weeks  before  we  were  arrested,  though  threats 
had  been  made  from  almost  the  first.  The  liquor 
trade  was  so  affected  by  our  street  meetings  that  the 
liquor  dealers  became  furious,  and  at  last  desperate. 
It  would  be  impossible  to  tell  the  insults  and  out- 
rages we  received  from  these  people.  At  last  a 
majority  of  the  wholesale  and  retail  dealers  signed  a 
petition  asking  the  mayor  (Blackmore)  to  remove 
the  praying  women  from  the  streets, — we  "hindered 
and  destroyed  business,  and  we  were  common 
nuisances,"  etc.  The  liquor  dealers'  association  also 
took  action  against  us,  so  a  formidable  strength  was 
brought  to  bear  upon  the  mayor.  We  were  notified 
if  we  continued  our  saloon  visiting  and  praying  we 


MEMORIES   OF   THE    CRUSADE. 


373 


would  be  arrested.  "  It  was  an  intrusion  upon 
public  rights  !  //  must  be  stopped  !  We  must  pray  in 
the  churches  or  at  home!"  'Ihe  liquor  men  con- 
cluded to  arrest  the  ladies.  "Then,"  they  said,  "the 
Crusade  would  subside."  But  the  truth  was,  there 
were  so  many  praying  women  the  jail  could  not  hold 
them,  nor  the  work-house,  so  here  was  a  dilemma. 
Meantime  we  continued  our  street  work,  and  one 
morning  while  conducting  a  meeting  on  the  side- 
walk in  front  of  Liddle's  wholesale  house,  on  Liberty 
street  (isn't  that  a  misnomer),  two  policemen 
arrested  ihirty-tuo  of  its  ! 

The  wildest  scenes  ensued,  and  in  a  short  time 
the  street  was  densely  packed  with  an  angry  mob, 
and  threats  were  heard  on  every  hand  against  the 
liquor  men  and  the  officers.  ( Here,  it  must  be 
understood,  that  the  masses  were  with  and  not  against 
the  Crusaders.)  A  riot  seemed  imminent.  I  climbed 
upon  a  barrel  of  whisky  which  stood  upon  the  side- 
walk, and  got  the  attention  of  the  people.  I  appealed 
to  them  to  let  the  law  take  its  course,  and  not  dis- 
grace our  city  by  violent  resistance.  I  talked  quite 
a  time  to  quiet  the  people,  then  the  crowd  gave  way 
and  we  walked  two  and'two  behind  the  policemen 
towards  the  city  lock-up,  several  squares  distant. 
As  we  marched,  we  sang  the  old  hymn — 
"  All  hail  the  power  of  Jesus*  name, 

Let  angels  prostrate  fall, 
Bring  forth  the  royal  diadem," 

and  the  thousands  upon  the  street  took  up  the  refrain, 

"  And  cro-ti'tt  Him  Lord  of  all" 

Just  imagine  thousands  and  thousands  singing  that 
glorious  anthem,  and  we  marching  to  prison.  I 
could  not  do  justice  to  those  hours  behind  the  bars 
We  were  not  in  the  jail,  but  the  lock-up, — a  place  of 
temporary  confinement  where  vagrants  are  kept 
until  they  have  a  hearing  and  are  sent  to  the  work- 
house or  set  free,  as  the  case  may  be.  Oh  !  the  poor, 
wretched  beings  we  saw  in  there, — all  graduates 
from  the  SALOONS-  some  who  should  have  been  in  a 
hospital.  My  Cod!  Never  shall  I  forget  that  day! 
The  Christian  women  and  the  poor  wrecks,  some  of 
them  far  gone,  but  rum  the  cause  of  it  all !  There 


374  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

we  were,  all  huddled  together  in  that  filthy  pen. 
We  sang  and  prayed  and  advised  them,  and  I  hope 
some  good  was  done. 

In  the  meantime,  the  noise  outside  grew  louder 
and  louder,  till  it  seemed  like  the  roar  of  a  mighty 
tempest.  We  hushed  our  songs  and  prayers  and 
listened  with  trembling  to  the  angry  multitude  out- 
side. Sometimes  we  would  hear  the  words  **  Pull 
them  down!"  "Clean  them  out!" — meaning  the 
liquor  houses — "Burn  them  down!"  etc  Then 
there  came  a  lull  in  the  angry  tempest,  and  while  we 
stood  inside  trembling  and  quaking,  uncertain  what 
was  going  to  occur  next,  all  at  once  a  great  cheer 
burst  forth,  and  the  words,  "  Clear  the  way  for  the 
ladies!"  rang  out. 

Then  was  sung  outside — 

"  Rock  of  Ages  cleft  for  me, 

Let  me  hide  myself  in  thee." 

Mrs.  Robison  had  got  together  a  large  band  of  sisters, 
made  her  way  through  the  densely  crowded  streets 
to  the  prison,  and  there  that  woman  marched  and 
countermarched  her  band  before  the  prison,  talked 
and  advised  as  only  she  can  do,  soothed  and  quieted 
that  great  mass  of  maddened  people,  and  no  doubt 
saved  bloodshed.  The  song  still  went  up  outside, 
and  we  inside  still  taking  up  the  refrain.  She  held 
the  people  in  check  till  a  deputation  came  from  the 
mayor  and  threw  open  the  prison  door  and  begged 
us  to  go  forth  free,  so  as  to  save  the  city  from  riot 
and  anarchy. 

The  liquor  men  who  had  caused  our  arrest  were 
greatly  frightened  ;  they  had  not  counted  on  such  an 
outburst  of  indignation  on  the  part  of  the  people. 
When  we  passed  out  of  that  prison,  for  squares  and 
squares  it  was  one  mass  of  human  beings. 

The  ladies  were  cited  to  appear  before  the 
mayor  to  answer  to  the  charge  of  obstructing  the 
streets  and  interfering  with  legitimate  (?)  busi- 
ness. Says  an  eye-witness,  "The  mayor,  when 
the  ladies  filed  into  the  court-room  and  took 
their  places  in  the  criminal's  dock  before  him,  was 


MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE.  375 

as  pale  as  a  sheeted  ghost.  As  he  knew  not 
what  to  do,  and  was  too  thoroughly  frightened 
to  do  anything  if  he  did,  he  referred  them  to  the 
upper  court.  When  they  made  their  appear- 
ance before  the  Judge,  he  told  them  they  had 
committed  no  offense  and  were  as  guiltless  as 
he  was,  and  discharged  them.  As  they  left  the 
court-room,  they  struck  up  the  long  metre  dox- 
ology,  which  was  caught  up  all  along  the  line  by 
thousands  of  voices,  reaching  to  the  headquarters 
half  a  mile  distant.  I  never  witnessed  such  a 
scene  in  my  life."  The  first  time,  I  presume,  in 
history  that  the  length  of  that  old  doxology 
could  be  measured  by  the  half  mile. 

Thus  were  the  Pittsburgh  Crusaders  impris- 
oned, released,  and  escorted  in  triumph  back  to 
headquarters  by  thousands  of  brave-hearted  men, 
who  with  difficulty — and  only  upon  the  earnest 
appeal  of  those  devoted  women — were  restrained 
from  wreaking  revenge  upon  the  instigators  of 
that  dastardly  outrage.  Among  those  impris- 
oned women  was  a  venerable,  white  haired  lady, 
Mrs.  Black,  widow  of  one  of  Pittsburgh's  most 
beloved  ministers.  By  her  side  walked  her 
brave,  devoted  son,  to  keep  oversight  of  his 
idolized  mother,  and  he  too  was  imprisoned — for 
his  filial  devotion.  I  am  sorry  I  have  not  the 
names  of  all  that  immortal  thirty-two  at  hand— 
they  should  be  "graven  with  an  iron  pen  and 
lead  in  the  rock  forever,"  that  the  fact  might 
be  given  to  the  generations  to  come  that  the 
noblest  women  of  the  land  and  age  were  incar- 


3/6  MEMORIES   OF   THE    CRUSADE. 

cerated  in  vile  prison-pens  with  loathsome 
criminals,  not  for  any  crime  committed,  only 
seeking  to  rescue  men  from  eternal  ruin  through 
the  accursed  drink.  God  grant  that  this  thrilling 
recital  may  live  and  be  read  from  one  genera- 
tion to  another,  even  after  this  fair  Republic 
shall  have  become  a  thing  of  the  past,  as  I 
greatly  fear  me  now  that  it  will  through  the 
destructive  influence  of  this  same  liquor  curse, 
so  that  our  children's  children  may  know  the 
reason  why.  Among  the  consecrated  women 
who  did  such  noble  work  for  humanity  in  one  of 
the  hardest  fields,  was  Mrs.  S.  B.  Robinson,  a 
lady  of  piety,  refinement  and  high  social  position 
and  influence,  and  possessed  of  the  most  remark- 
able talent  of  any  lady  I  have  found  in  the  work, 
for  managing,  controlling  and  pouring  sweet  and 
savory  oil  on  all  troubled  waters;  Mrs.  Collins, 
the  first  President,  wife  of  Rev.  Collins  of  the  U. 
P.  church ;  Mrs.  Hill,  now  Mrs.  Lord,  of  Savan- 
nah, who  has  proved  her  ability  as  secretary, 
organizer  and  lecturer — the  latter  in  Great  Britain 
as  well  as  this  country ;  Mrs.  Matchett,  Mrs. 
Swift,  and  Mrs.  Watson,  who  as  Committee  of 
the  National  W.  C.  T.  U. ,  has  done  such  grand 
work  in  her  efforts  to  secure  a  day  for  temp- 
erance in  the  week  of  prayer ;  Mrs.  Morris,  Miss 
Pearl  Star,  one  of  my  little  ' '  Needle  and  Thread" 
girls  of  war  times,  and  who  developed  such 
talents  for  work  as  lecturer  and  writer  as  have 
made  for  her  a  wide-spread  reputation ;  Mrs. 
Gormly,  dear  Mother  Van  Horn  and  a  host  of 
others. 


MEMORIES    OF   THE    CRUSADE. 

In  recounting  these  events  of  our  Crusade, 
one  is  led  to  exclaim :  What  a  curious,  compli- 
cated institution  is  the  law  !  Here  are  men,  low, 
vile,  and  criminal,  made  so  by  the  liquor  traffic, 
which  is  sustained  and  protected  by  the  law 
which  should  be  for  the  protection  of  society. 
And  here  is  a  company  of  Christian  ladies  im- 
prisoned in  the  same  den  for  lifting  their  voices 
against  a  traffic  that  thus  imbrutes  humanity. 
Mrs.  Hill  says  she  climbed  upon  a  whisky  barrel 
that  was  obstructing  the  sidewalk,  to  try  to  quiet 
that  throng  of  angry  men,  when  the  policeman 
arrested  and  led  her  off  to  prison  and  left  the ' whis- 
ky barrel  standing.  I  give  it  up,  and  concede,  as 
our  good  husbands  so  often  remind  us,  we 
"  women  don't  know  anything  about  law." 

As  I  have,  in  rehearsing  the  foregoing  expe- 
riences of  myself  and  sisters,  become  somewhat 
exercised  in  mind,  and,  as  a  good  Methodist 
preacher  used  to  call  it,  "  religiously  vexed, "  I 
think  I  had  better  go  on  and  "  tell  it  all "  and 
make  a  chapter  of  it. 

THE    CHICAGO    MOB. 

Chicago  being  under  the  control  of  the  liquor 
element,  the  dealers,  backed  by  a  large  popula- 
tion of  the  lowest,  most  ignorant  class  of 
foreigners,  had  it,  of  course,  all  their  own  way. 
To  further  their  own  interests  and  defy  the  better 
class  of  citizens,  they  decided  to  appeal  to  the 
council  to  repeal  the  Sunday  saloon  closing 
ordinance. 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

The  Christian  ladies  hearing  of  this,  five 
hundred  of  them  came  together  in  counsel,  and 
on  March  I5th,  a  committee  of  one  hundred 
and  fifty  was  commissioned  to  present  to  the 
council  a  remonstrance  signed  by  sixteen  thou- 
sand women.  Other  ladies  remained  to  pray 
while  the  delegation  went  on  their  mission. 
The  Superintendent  and  Captain  of  police  refused 
to  give  the  ladies  protection  or  place  in  the 
Council  Chamber,  and  as  they  quietly  marched 
through  the  streets  they  were  set  upon  by  a 
howling  mass  more  nearly  allied  to  fiends  of  the 
bottomless  pit  than  human  beings  inhabiting  a 
land  professing  to  protect  all  its  citizens,  even 
the  weakest,  in  their  rights. 

The  women  meekly  presented  their  remon- 
strance, but  immediately,  and  in  their  very  faces 
the  ordinance  was  repealed,  and  Satan  and  his 
minions  triumphed  in  Chicago.  The  Chicago 
Times  of  the  I7th  says  : 

The  onset  of  a  howling  mob  of  ruffians  upon  a 
committee  of  respectable  ladies  that  visited  the 
Council  Chamber  last  Monday  night,  to  remonstrate 
against  the  repeal  of  the  Sunday  tippling  law,  cannot 
be  characterized  in  the  terms  of  condemnation  that 
it  deserves.  It  was  the  most  vile  and  disgraceful 
demonstration  of  the  spirit  of  ruffianism  ever  wit- 
nessed in  this  city.  Probably  not  another  city  in 
any  civilized  country  on  the  globe  has  ever  witnessed, 
in  time  of  peace,  a  performance  so  unspeakably 
brutal.  *  *  *  It  was  the  outspew  of  the  slums 
and  groggeries  and  brothels  ;  it  was  the  grand  army 
of  pimps,  loafers,  blacklegs,  thieves  and  drunken 
roughs,  marshalled  to  defend  scoundrelism  and 
indecency  against  the  protest  of  virtue  ;  ladies  were 
so  terrified  that  some  fainted,  others  covered  their 


MEMORIES    OF   THE    CRUSADE. 


379 


faces  with  their  hands  and  hurried  away  as  best  they 
could,  trying  to  escape  from  that  howling,  blasphem- 
ing throng  of  thousands.  They  were  jostled  and 
spit  upon,  and  the  hats  of  gentlemen  trying  to  protect 
them  knocked  off. 

It  is  no  use  following  this  sickening  detail 
further.  None  of  those  raging  hyenas,  as  far  as 
I  know,  were  ever  brought  to  account  for  their 
conduct. 

I  do  know  that  a  few  months  later  I  was  in 
the  city  at  the  time  of  their  election,  and  many 
of  their  polling  places  were  in  the  saloons,  and 
Christian  men  went  in  and  voted  with  those  out- 
ragers  of  all  human  and  divine  law ;  and  the 
status  is  not  changed  to  this  day,  neither 
have  those  Christian  men  learned  wisdom, 
though,  as  they  on  that  day  sowed  to  the  wind, 
they  have  recently  reaped  the  whirlwind  in  their 
Anarchist  riots  and  1 1  ay  market  massacres,  as 
also  did  Pittsburgh  reap  in  her  railroad  riots, 
and  Cincinnati  in  her  court-house  burning  and 
slaughter. 

Does  it  pay  to  ' '  Fear  God  and  keep  his  com- 
mandments?" 


PORTLAND,   OREGON. 

From  Mrs.  Izar,  a  Methodist  minister's  wife, 
and  one  of  the  participants,  I  have  substantially 
the  following :  On  that  far  North-western  Pacific 
coast  the  Christian  ladies  caught  the  Crusade 
inspiration  from  the  marvelous  reports  that  came 
speeding  over  mountain  and  vale  from  their 
Eastern  homes.  It  so  fired  their  hearts  that 


380  MEMORIES   OF   THE    CRUSADE. 

they,  too,  took  up  the  work  and  had  good 
success.  Some  saloons  were  closed,  many 
signed  the  pledge,  and  where  men  had  always 
hitherto  passed  in  and  out  of  the  saloons  at  all 
hours  of  the  day  as  a  matter  of  course,  to  get 
their  liquor,  it  became  disreputable  to  be  seen 
thus  patronizing  a  rum-hole,  and  the  patronage 
largely  fell  off. 

All  the  saloon-keepers  but  one  or  two  treated 
the  ladies  civilly.  But  finally  one  brave  fellow 
thought  he  would  emulate  his  eastern  brethren 
and  acquire  a  little  notoriety  at  the  same  time, 
and  so  he  made  his  complaint  and  had  the 
Crusaders  arrested  and  marched  off  to  prison  for 
singing  and  praying  on  the  street.  The  ladies 
calmly  went  on  with  their  singing  and  praying. 
The  chief  of  police  offered  to  release  them  on 
their  own  recognizance,  but  they  refused  to 
leave.  When  the  Judge  made  his  appearance, 
a  gentleman  filed  a  general  demurrer,  and  took 
the  ground  that  "  singing  and  praying  "  was  a 
a  devotional  exercise,  and  that  every  person  in 
the  United  States  was  at  liberty,  under  the  Con- 
stitution, to  worship  God  according  to  the 
dictates  of  his  own  conscience,  and  that  the 
complaint  on  its  face  alleged  a  statement  of  facts 
that  could  not  amount  to  disorderly  conduct. 
The  court  promptly  sustained  the  demurrer  and 
discharged  the  ladies. 

I  am  most  happy  to  record  the  fact  that  one 
man  in  the  United  States  took  a  correct  position 
in  regard  to  the  Crusade,  and  that  one  judge 


MEMORIES   OF   THE    CRUSADE.  381 

was  found  to  sustain  him,  if  we  did  have  to  go 
to  the  boundaries  of  civilization  to  find  him. 

CLEVELAND  COVERS  HERSELF  WITH  GLORY  (?) 

It  was  not  to  be  expected  that  Cleveland 
would  sit  quietly  and  see  so  humdrum  a  place 
as  Chicago  acquire  such  a  national  reputation  for 
fighting  women  without  some  sort  of  effort  to 
surpass  her ;  of  course  not.  It  was  only  a  few 
days  after,  that  the  opportunity  offered. 

On  March  iQth,  a  band  of  ladies,  led  by  Miss 
Bearby,  M.  D.,  marched  out  upon  the  street 
and  at  once  were  followed  and  surrounded  by  a 
great  throng  of  ruffians  that  came  pouring  from 
the  saloons  and  low  dives,  and  began  to  insult  and 
abuse  the  ladies  while  kneeling  on  the  street  in 
prayer.  As  the  women  bore  this  all  patiently 
without  resentment,  it  seemed  rather  to  excite 
the  fury  of  the  mob  than  to  shame  them,  and 
they  thereupon  proceeded  to  administer  kicks  and 
blows.  Mrs.  McCarty  was  struck  by  a  wretch 
with  his  clenched  fist,  Dr.  Bearby  was  kicked,  and 
Miss  Stoney  fainted  away. 

A  gentleman  who  tried  to  protect  and  rescue 
the  ladies,  was  struck  in  the  face  by  a  German 
who  had  noticed  his  efforts.  Attempting  to 
defend  himself,  a  crowd  of  more  than  a  hundred 
surrounded,  kicking  and  striking  him,  cutting  a 
great  gash  upon  his  head.  As  he  was  struggling 
to  defend  himself  and  make  his  escape,  bleeding 
and  ready  to  faint,  a  couple  of  gentlemen, 
providentially  it  would  seem,  drove  along  in  a 


382  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

buggy  and  succeeded  in  placing  themselves 
between  the  mob  and  their  victim,  who  by  this 
timely  aid  was  enabled  to  reach  his  own  home, 
where  he  sank  on  the  floor,  a  pitiable  object  of 
wounds  and  bruises.  He  lay  for  some  time  in  the 
doctor's  hands,  on  the  brink  of  the  grave.  The 
ladies  were  at  length  rescued  from  their  perilous 
condition  by  the  police,  and  escorted  to  the 
church, — all  this  because  a  band  of  praying 
women  had  gone  out  in  a  Christian  (?)  city,  on 
deeds  of  charity  intent. 

I  shall  be  told  that  these  women  were  interfer- 
ing with  at  least  a  legalized  business,  trespassing 
on  legal  rights  which  invited  that  sort  of  retalia- 
tion. But  I  answer,  the  women  never  thought 
of  meddling  with  any  other  business ;  never  heard 
of  their  crusading  the  baker  or  the  butcher,  not 
even  the  milliner,  unless  they  happened  to  have 
a  good  supply  of  greenbacks.  It  must  be  a  dan- 
gerous sort  of  business  that  arrays  the  Christian 
mothers  and  wives  of  a  whole  country  against  it, 
and  leads  them  to  adopt  such  extraordinary  meth- 
ods for  its  ovetrhrow,  even  in  the  face  of  its 
legal  protectors.  The  women  had  no  voice  in 
legalizing  it.  If  their  voices  could  have  been 
heard  it  would  not  to  day  be  resting  so  securely 
under  the  protection  of  the  strong  arm  of  the  law. 
They  are  not  even  permitted  to  enter  their  pro- 
test at  the  ballot-box — though  every  man  with  a 
thimbleful  of  brains  knows  they  would,  with 
only  one  chance,  vote  it  out  ot  existence.  There 
was  nothing  else  left  them, — the  more  shame  to 


MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE.       38$ 

our  fathers  and  husbands.  And  yet — and  yet, 
these  fathers  and  husbands,  to-day,  vote  with 
this  very  class  of  wretches  and  for  their  candi- 
dates— "  to  save  the  party  !  "  There  is  a  fearful 
responsibility  resting  on  a  government  that  toler- 
ates and  fosters  such  an  unmitigated  abomina- 
tion, and  the  reckoning  has  to  be  met.  My  God, 
where  will  it  all  end  ? 

CALIFORNIA    FALLS    INTO    LINE, 

though  a  few  months  later.  In  Alameda,  Cal., 
an  election,  under  the  provision  of  the  Local  Op- 
tion I^avv,  was  held  on  July  2nd  of  this  year, 
1874. 

The  temperance  ladies,  MissSallie  Hart  being 
their  leader,  had  a  tent  erected  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  polling  place,  with  the  hope  of  influencing 
voters  in  the  interest  of  temperance.  The  word 
went  into  San  Francisco,  and  as  soon  as  they 
could  get  their  forces  together,  the  German 
saloon-keepers  sent  out  one  hundred  and  fifty  of 
their  willing  tools,  who  marched  through  the 
streets,  being  headed  by  the  U.  S.  Fourth  Artil- 
lery band,  and  being  joined  by  a  large  concourse 
of  similar  spirits,  blockaded  the  streets  and  poll- 
ing place,  insulting  most  shamefully  both  men 
and  women ;  especially  wreaking  their  venom 
on  Miss  Hart,  shrieking,  cursing  and  crying 
* '  down  with  her!  "  "Drive her  from  the  streets!" 
"Take  her  home,  or  we  will  kill  her!"  Later 
in  the  day  they  prepared  an  effigy — (I  wonder  if 
certain  leaders  of  one  of  the  parties  in  the  cam- 
paign of  1884  did  not  get  their  ingenious  idea 


384  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

from  these  high-toned  fellow  citizens?) — formed 
in  procession  and  proceeded,  not  to  burn,  but 
to  bury  Sallie  Hart  in  a  sand  bank. 

Men  who  were  familiar  with  the  lawless  scenes 
of  the  mining  days  said  they  never  witnessed  any- 
thing approaching  the  shameless  proceedings  of 
this  day.  The  poor,  infuriated  wretches  thought 
they  had  achieved  a  great  victory,  but  they  only 
succeeded  in  making  themselves  a  by-word  and 
a  stench  in  the  nostrils  of  all  decent  people. 

I  will  admit  that  this  class  of  "our  fellow  cit- 
izens" had  already  inspired  in  the  breasts  of  the 
political  leaders,  a  high  degree,  if  not  of  respect, 
at  least  of  wholesome  fear. 

Our  work  had  been  in  progress  but  a  few 
weeks  till  the  ever-alert  politican  began  to  in- 
quire, "How  will  this  affect  my  party?" 

Under  date  of  February  25th,  I  find  this  in  a 
Pittsburgh  paper  from  a  Cincinnati  correspond- 
ent: 

POLITICAL  ASPECT   OF  THE   WAR. 

The  women  earnestly  strive  to  unite  religious  de' 
nominations  and  steer  clear  of  politics  in  this  move- 
ment, but  it  cannot  be  without  political  effect,  what- 
ever may  be  said  to  the  contrary.  It  is  not  uncom- 
mon to  hear  the  remark  that  ''this thing  will  break  up 
the  Republican  party  if  it  goes  on  much  longer."  On 
the  other  hand  it  is  a  notable  fact  that  the  leading 
Democratic  newspapers  in  the  State  have  looked  with 
something  very  like  disfavor  upon  the  whole  move- 
ment. The  truth  is,  I  suppose  that  both  of  the  exist- 
ing political  parties  will  lose  strength  by  accessions  to 
the  ranks  of  the  prohibitionists,  who,  at  the  last  gen- 
eral election  polled  about  ten  thousand  votes,  and 
therefore  have  already  a  pretty  respectable  nucleus.  In 
fine,  the  effect  will  be  another  step  in  the  direction  of 


MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE.  385 

freeing  men  from  old  party  ties.  It  still  remains  to 
be  seen  whether  the  approaching  election  this  fall  will 
be  seriously  affected.  *  *  If  the  success  of  the  women 
and  the  talk  of  the  street  are  trustworthy  indications 
of  the  drift  of  public  sentiment,  the  temperance  party 
will  be  largely  in  the  majority." 

But  the  fall  election  proved  the  writer  of  the 
above  to  be  mistaken  in  his  forecasting.  The 
Republicans  succeeded  in  getting  what  they,  with 
quite  a  flourish,  called  a  temperance  plank,  in 
their  platform  that  season ;  but  while  it  was  a 
most  insignificant  expression  in  regard  to  the 
subject  of  temperance,  it  did  hold,  by  the  spe- 
cious promise  intimated,  very  many  honest  but 
credulous  temperance  men  in  the  ranks,  while  it, 
at  the  same  time,  alienated  enough  of  the  liquor 
men,  or  maddened  them  so  that  they  turned  to 
the  Democrats,  and  the  Republicans  lost  the 
election. 

Then  they  jerked  their  frail  plank  out,  and 
charged  their  poor,  Crusading  wives  with  break- 
ing up  the  party.  From  year  to  year  since,  the 
contest  between  the  two  parties  has  been  to  se- 
cure the  liquor  vote,  each  trying  to  outdo  the 
other  in  fulsome  flattery  of  citizens  of  foreign 
nationality,  thus  creating  and  strengthening  the 
very  distinctions  our  form  of  government  was  de- 
signed to  eradicate. 

In  the  name  of  our  fathers,  who  bequeathed  it  to 
us,  I  ask  what  right  any  German,  or  Irish,  or 
French,  or  Italian,  or  any  other  white  or  black  cit- 
izen has,  as  such,  to  governmental  or  party  con- 
sideration. If  a  man  is  not  an  American  citizen, 

C25) 


386  MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

he  has  no  business  to  meddle  with  political 
affairs ;  and  if  he  is  not  satisfied  with  our  institu- 
tions, as  he  finds  them,  let  him  by  all  means 
return  whence  he  came.  If  he  has  decided  to  be- 
come a  citizen,  let  him  be  content  with  such  laws 
and  usages  as  the  native  born  citizen  is  glad  to 
accept.  What  right  has  he  to  claim  special  con- 
sideration above  the  native  ?  If  not  arrested, 
this  continual  thrusting  of  the  foreign  element 
forward  and  above  the  natives  in  every  political 
contest  will  bear  its  fruit  not  very  far  hence. 

It  is  a  very  amusing  game  for  demagogues  to 
play  at  now  for  the  sake  of  the  offices  and  spoils, 
but  let  the  thoughtful  lover  of  his  country  look 
to  this  matter,  before  he  finds  this  great  fabric 
for  which  our  fathers  gave  their  lives,  lying  in 
ruins  at  his  feet. 


CHAPTER   XIX. 


First  State  Convention  at  Springfield. 


T  WAS  becoming  apparent  that  a  free 
interchange  of  views  among  the  workers, 
and  a  thorough  organization  of  the  State, 
were  needed.  Accordingly,  upon  a  call  by  the 
Executive  Committee,  Mrs.  M,  C.  McCabe, 
Chairman,  a  State  Convention  met  in  Springfield 
on  June  i/th,  at  ten  o'clock,  in  the  English  Lu- 
theran Church,  and  was  duly  opened  by  prayer 
and  singing. 

I  must  stop  here  to  say  that  in  October  of  1887 
our  State  Convention  again  met  in  Springfield, 
and  in  the  same  church,  thirteen  years  after  the 
first  one.  We  made  it  a  reunion  and  anniversary 
of  this  W.  C.  T.  U.  State  Convention.  It  was 
presided  over,  not  by  a  gentleman — that  would 
seem  funny  now — but  by  our  graceful  and  com- 
petent President,  Mrs.  II.  L.  Monroe.  We  had 
with  us  our  first  President,  Mrs.  M.  C.  McCabe, 
our  first  Secretary,  Mrs.  F.  W.  Leitcr,  and  our 
first  Treasurer,  Mrs.  E.  J.  Thompson,  (our  sec- 
ond President,  Mrs.  M.  A.  Woodbridge,  not 
being  present),  with  a  goodly  number  of  the  old 
war-worn  veterans  from  all  over  the  State.  How 

387 


388  MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

glad  we  were  for  this  reunion,  and  how  our  hearts 
swelled  and  thrilled  as  we  recounted  all  the  way 
the  Lord  had  led  us,  This  Convention  was  only 
one  of  forty  State  and  Territorial  Conventions  of 
this  year  of  grace  1887,  and  we,  though  a  full 
representation  of  our  State,  were  only  a  fraction 
of  the  250,000  women  in  our  own  land  that  are 
banded  together,  with  the  vows  of  God  upon  us, 
never  to  lay  down  the  weapons  of  our  warfare 
till  the  blessed  bells,  the  CRUSADE  bells,  shall 
once  more  ring  out,  but  with  a  sweeter,  gladder 
sound  than  ever  before,  proclaiming  liberty 
throughout  all  the  land,  to  all  the  people,  from 
the  liquor  scourge.  Besides,  we  remembered 
the  thousands  more  in  all  lands  who  have 
joined  our  ranks  and  are  waging  the  same  war- 
fare with  us.  Behold  what  hath  God  wrought ! 
Blessed  be  His  name  forever  more.  Amen. 

The  Convention  organized  by  electing  Mrs.  E. 
J.  Thompson,  President,  but  she  very  modestly 

requested  that  Dr. ,  now  Bishop  Walden,  be 

made  Chairman  in  her  stead.  Vice-Presidents : 
Mrs.  S.  K.  Leavitt,  Cincinnati ;  Mother  Stewart, 
Springfield;  Mrs.  Bishop  Thompson,  Delaware; 
Mrs.  Rev.  Keep,  Oberlin ;  Mrs.  Johnson,  Lima; 
Mrs.  Reed,  Mansfield  ;  Mrs.  Peebles, Portsmouth  ; 
Mrs.  E.  J.  Thompson,  Hillsboro ;  Mrs.  Dr. 
Bowls,  Bridgeport;  Mrs.  Jacobs,  Clyde;  Miss 
Kate  Thompson,  Alliance;  Secretary,  Mrs.  F. 
W.  Leiter,  Mansfield;  1st  Assistant  Secretary, 
Prof.  Shirtleff,  Oberlin ;  2nd  Assistant  Secretary, 
Mrs.  H.  Bartram,  Marion. 


MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE.  389 

There  was  a  very  general  representation  of  all 
parts  of  the  State,  of  both  men  and  women ;  an 
intelligent  body  of  Christians,  and  great  good- 
feeling  and  enthusiasm  were  manifest. 

A  committee  on  business  or  plan  of  work  was 
appointed,  consisting  of  one  from  each  Congres- 
sional District,  in  the  following  order:  Rev.  W. 
I.  Fee,  Rev.  Dr.  C.  H.  Paine,  Rev.  Dr.  Brew- 
ster,  Rev.  J.  H.  Montgomery,  Rev.  S.  P.  John- 
son, Mrs.  H.  L.  Haag,  Mrs.  Chas.  Beery, 
Mother  Stewart,  Mrs.  E.  C.  McVitta,  Mrs.  E. 
Sullivan,  Miss  H.  Maxon,  Rev.  D.  A.  Randall, 
Mrs.  H.  G.  Carey,  Mrs.  I.  R.  Prichard,  Mrs. 
A.  C.  Davis,  Mrs.  R.  C.  Graves,  Mrs.  M.  E. 
Griffith,  Mrs.  M.  Sperry,  Rev.  S.  K.  Dissett.  A 
part  of  the  duties  of  this  committee  was  that  of 
preparing  the  resolutions. 

As  always  in  those  days,  at  such  gatherings  a 
portion  of  time  was  set  apart  for  reports  of  the 
work  and  general  speaking.  Men  as  well  as  women 
participated  in  these  exercises,  which  were  greatly 
enjoyed  and  very  profitable.  I  remember, 
with  lively  interest,  the  fact  that  in  speaking  of 
the  condition  and  needs  of  the  temperance  cause, 
quite  a  number  of  men  and  women  declared  that, 
"now  for  the  first  time  in  their  lives,"  they  saw 
that  women  must  have  the  ballot  to  help  close 
out  the  liquor  curse  in  the  country.  This  was  so 
noticeable  that  a  reporter  who  had  not  himself 
measured  up  to  such  an  advanced  position,  re- 
ported that  the '  'old  suffragists  made  themselves  so 
conspicuous  with  their  suffrage  views  that  it  might 


3QO  MEMORIES  OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

have  been  mistaken  for  a  Suffrage  Convention." 
But  the  fact  was,  it  was  not  the  "old  suffragists." 
They  were  equally  surprised  with  the  reporter, 
but  held  their  peace.  Yes,  these  men  and  wom- 
en had  for  the  "first  time  in  their  lives"  obtained 
an  insight  into  the  abomination  of  the  liquor 
traffic  and  the  places  where  sold,  the  class  that 
frequented  them,  the  money  and  political  power 
and  the  intrigues  by  which  they  controlled  elec- 
tions and  legislation  in  their  own  interest.  No 
wonder  they  saw  the  need  of  woman's  ballot  at 
the  polls,  as  well  as  her  prayer  at  the  saloon. 
But  the  great  majority  of  mankind  are  slow  to 
come  to  the  truth,  and  what  is  a  greater  pity, 
they  are  always  intolerant  of  those  who  do  take 
ground  in  advance  of  them.  So  in  this  case  these 
advanced  thinkers  were  subjected  to  such  scathing 
criticism  as  to  very  soon  silence  them. 

We  had  a  very  animated  time  over  our  reso- 
lutions, or  more  strictly,  over  one  of  them.  The 
Constitutional  Convention  had  submitted  a  new 
constitution,  to  be  voted  upon  on  the  iSth  of 
August.  At  the  same  time  was  to  be  submitted  a 
separate  clause  on  the  license  question.  In  view 
of  the  coming  fight  with  our  enemy  over  this 
clause,  I  brought  in  the  following  resolution : 

'  'Resolved,  That  we,  not  as  partisans,  but  as 
Christian  citizens,  will  unceasingly  oppose  the 
giant  evil  of  intemperance  by  personal,  social  and 
political  influence,  by  the  press,  by  the  pulpit 
and  by  prayer." 

As  first  presented  to  the  committee,  it  lacked 
the  explanatory  clause. 


MEMORIES   OP   THE   CRUSADE.  39! 

There  was  a  strong  fight  made  on  the  resolu- 
tion, or  rather  that  one  very  alarming  word,  "  po- 
litical." I  could  not  understand  it.  I  supposed 
all  understood  that  we  were  entering  upon  the 
most  important  contest  ever  waged  in  the  State 
up  to  that  time.  They  certainly  understood  that 
the  temperance  work  must  now  take  on  a  politi- 
cal feature.  While  we  had,  by  God's  help,  done 
a  glorious  work  in  closing  so  many  places  of 
drinking,  reforming  so  many  drinkers,  and  even 
closing  distilleries  and  breweries,  yet  the  law  was 
largely  on  the  side  of  the  traffic,  and  the  liquor 
men  would  move  all  machinery  under  Heaven 
to  fasten  license  upon  us ;  and  our  last  state 
would  be  infinitely  worse  than  before  our  work 
began.  I  was  very  much  astonished  that  any 
temperance  worker  should  oppose  such  a  resolu- 
tion. I  had  entered  into  the  fight  against  liquor 
with  the  black  flag  unfurled — I  meant  death  to 
the  trade,  and  I  did  not  dream  but  everybody 
else  meant  the  same.  But  I  had  already  been 
subjected  to  some  masked  batteries,  though  I 
could  not  understand  why.  Now,  again,  there 
was  an  influence  at  work  that  I  could  not  yet  un- 
derstand. The  Chairman  indorsed  it  and  en- 
gineered it  through  the  Committee,  and  told  me 
that  when  he  should  read  it  in  Convention,  he 
would  procure  me  permission  to  speak  on  it. 

But,  somehow,  permission  was  not  obtained. 
It  did,  however, elicit  a  very  animated  discussion, 
which  occupied  nearly  the  whole  afternoon,  and 
was  adjourned  over  to  the  evening  session.  I  was 


392  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

still  unable  to  understand  the  animus  underlying 
the  opposition  to  that  little  word  political.  I 
must,  in  justice  to  the  Crusaders,  explain  that  the 
opposition  came  chiefly  from  the  brethren.  Upon 
going  up  for  the  evening  meeting,  as  I  approach- 
ed the  door  I  saw  a  group  of  three  or  four  men 
standing  near,  and  as  I  approached  them  I  heard 
one  say,  "  there  she  is  now;"  and  turning  to  me 
they  very  courteously  addressed  me — and — com- 
menced feeding  me  taffy — (Oh,  dear,  dear  !  I  beg 
everybody's  pardon, — but  I  could  not  think  what 
other  word  to  use).  They  hoped  that  I,  with  my 
great  influence,  would  go  in  and  make  a  speech  in 
favor  of  the  proposed  amendment  to  strike  out  that 
obnoxious  word,  for  the  sake  of  harmony,  you 
know,  etc.  I  told  them  I  should  do  no  such  thing. 
I  did  not  expect  to  speak  again,  but  when  it 
came  to  a  vote  I  should  certainly  vote  against 
striking  out  that  objectionable  word,  as  they 
were  pleased  to  call  it.  ( I  wonder  if  the  friends 
who  are  still  glorying  in  the  victory  of  that  cam- 
paign ever  guessed  where  the  real  battle  was 
fought  ?)  I  told  the  gentlemen  I  expected  to  work 
up  to  the  night  before  election,  doing  all  I  could 
to  defeat  license,  and  I  did  not  propose  to  go 
about  over  the  State  with  a  padlock  hanging  to 
the  corner  of  my  mouth.  Stupid  as  I  had  been 
heretofore,  I  began  to  perceive  now  that  I  was  in 
the  presence  and  hands  of  wire-pulling  politicians, 
and  was  glad  when  I  saw  Rev.  Spring,  a  man 
that  I  knew  was  honest  and  true,  approaching. 
I  called  him  to  me  and  told  him  that  here  was  an 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  3Q3 

impromptu  caucus  and  invited  him  to  join  us,  ex- 
plaining the  gentlemen's  proposition.  He  very 
promptly  said  he  should  not  agree  to  the  elimi- 
nation of  that  word.  If  it  was  voted  out  he 
should  leave  this  branch  of  the  temperance  work 
and  go  to  the  Prohibitionists,  which  he  did  not 
wish  to  do.  We  went  in,  and  upon  opening  the 
proceedings,  dear  Sister  L —  -  was  put  forward. 
She,  in  the  innocence  of  her  soul,  thinking  it  was 
only  to  pour  oil  on  the  troubled  waters,  made  a 
very  pathetic  appeal,  not  devoid  of  a  few  tears. 

About  the  close  of  her  speech  one  of  the  afore- 
said gentlemen  came  up  to  me  and  said  in  a  low 
voice,  "Now,  Mother  Stewart,  is  your  time." 
"  Why, "said  I,  "may  I  speak?"  "Oh,  yes,"  he 
answered.  The  dear  man  had  given  me  credit 
for  so  much  more  tenderness  of  heart  than  I 
possessed,  that  he  thought  now  surely  I  would 
be  so  touched  by  that  appeal,  ' '  for  the  sake  of 
peace  and  harmony,  and  to  please  one  little 
woman"  (she  wasn't  little  by  ever  so  much), 
that  I  would  yield.  I,  however,  was  not  looking 
at  it  in  that  light,  and  wondered  that  he  should 
suggest  to  me  to  follow  her.  I  was  glad,  however, 
for  the  opportunity,  as  were  a  good  many  others. 
I  don't  know  what  I  said,  and  I  never  could  ac- 
count for  the  flow  of  words  that  came  to  me,  nor 
the  result,  for  I  carried  the  Convention  with  me, 
only  upon  the  belief  that  the  Lord  helped  me  to 
frustrate  those  scheming  men  who  were  ready 
to  risk  the  cause  for  which  we  had  worked  so 
hard, — "  for  the  sake  of  the  party."  I  know  I 


394  MEMORIES   OF   THE    CRUSADE. 

was  as  much  astonished  at  the  result  as  any  one 
present. 

A  few  years  since,  I  spoke  in  Carey,  and  after 
I  closed  a  gentleman  came  up,  shook  hands  and 
asked  if  I  did  not  remember  him.  I  was  sorry  to 

tell  him  I  did  not.      "I  am  Mr.  W ,"  said  he. 

"  Don't  you  remember  that  some  gentlemen  met 
you  at  the  entrance  of  the  Op-jra  House  in 
Springfield,  at  your  first  Convention,  and  tried  to 
influence  you  in  regard  to  your  resolution  ?  I  was 
one  of  them."  "Oh,  yes,"  said  I,  "and  that 
was  a  political  intrigue. "  ' '  Yes  it  was,  "said  he, 
frankly. 

Thus  has  it  proven  through  all  the  struggle 
with  the  liquor  power,  that  men  who  cared  more 
for  the  success  of  their  p:irty  than  for  the  welfare 
of  the  people  and  the  country,  have  been  found 
mixing  in  with  great  apparent  zeal  and  interest, 
but  in  fact  to  hold  those  in  check  who  might  be 
so  radical,  or  insist  upon  such  radical  action,  as 
would  alienate  the  liquor  men  from  their  party 
and  send  them  over  to  the  other. 

It  has  been  my  misfortune,  ( is  it  a  misfortune  ?) 
to  incur  the  disapprobation  of  this  class  of  poli" 
ticians,  and  many  of  the  good  sisters  were  made 
to  think  that  it  was  very  wrong  to  do  or  say  any- 
thing that  might  injure  the  party  to  which  their 
husbands  belonged.  But  the  Crusade  form  of 
work  was  passing  away,  and  we  had  not  entirely 
closed  out  the  saloons,  and  some  were  even  now  in 
places  beginning  in  stealthy  fashion  to  sell  again. 
Evidently  we  had  not  used  all  the  means  in  our 


MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE.       395 

power,  and  had  fallen  short.  Now  some  of  the 
Crusaders  began  to  appeal  to  their  husbands  to 
vote  the  curse  out.  But  we  were  told  to  go  and 
pray,  there  were  other  more  important  questions 
before  the  people.  The  Southern  question  was  not 
settled,  the  negro  and  the  union  citizens  in  the 
South  must  be  protected.  This,  to  many,  was 
a  very  effective  argument,  for  their  sympathies 
were  readily  enlisted  for  the  oppressed,  and  the 
sisters  were  not  expected  to  know  that  our  State 
or  any  other  individual  State  had  nothing  to  do 
with  that  question — of  course  not,  when  more 
than  half  the  voters  did  not. 

As  soon  as  a  political  canvass  came  on,  we  were 
told  we  must  not  bring  our  temperance  up  now, 
— must  let  our  meetings  go  over  till  after  elec- 
tion ;  after  the  questions  growing  out  of  the  war, 
after  the  tariff  question,  etc.,  then  our  demands 
should  be  considered.  Ah,  if  the  grand,  old  Re- 
publican party  had,  in  strong,  unmistakable  dec. 
laration,  indorsed  prohibition  directly  upon  that 
Crusade  uprising  of  the  women,  they  might 
possibly  have  lost  their  first  election,  they  would 
certainly  have  parted  company  with  a  large  fol- 
lowing of  the  liquor  men  who  hold  their  place  in 
the  party  simply  to  control  it.  But  they  would 
ultimately  have  triumphed;  for  all  good  citizens 
would  have  rallied  to  its  standard  and  the  Re- 
publican party  would  have  gone  down  in  history 
as  the  Great  Party  of  Moral  Ideas,  and  with  a 
record  such  as  no  other  ever  had,  nor  can  it 
now  have.  Its  blind  leaders  cheated  it  out  of 


396  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

its  last  opportunity.  But  this  is  not  all ;  Ohio 
would  long  since  have  been  under  prohibitory 
law,  with  many  another  State  following  after. 

Years  have  passed,  and  the  leaders  are  still 
intriguing,  and  still  trying  to  steer  their  political 
craft,  which  has  become  awfully  leaky,  between 
Scylla  and  Charibdis,  and  still  many  good  men 
and  women  are  hoping  that  "sometime,"  they 
will  land  us  safely  in  some  blessed  harbor  of 
Prohibition. 

"  What  of  the  other  party  ?"  Nothing  at  all. 
They — in  the  North,  I  wish  explicitly  to  be 
understood — never  professed  to  be  anything  but 
a  liquor  party,  never  made  any  pledges,  and 
consequently  never  broke  any.  They  are  purely 
and  avowedly  the  liquor  party  and  they  never 
led  us  to  expect  anything  else  of  them.  And 
yet  it  is  in  history  that  about  as  many  laws 
prohibiting  or  restraining  the  traffic  have  been 
passed  by  Democratic  as  Republican  legisla- 
tures. The  patent  fact  is  that  these  parties 
are  simply  striving  to  retain,  or  obtain,  control 
of  the  government,  regardless  of  the  means 
by  which  that  control  is  obtained  or  of  the 
true  interests  of  the  people.  It  is  conceded 
that  there  are  good  and  true  men  in  both  these 
parties,  but  that  is  of  no  consequence,  since  they 
can  have  no  control  of  the  party.  And  now, 
since  I  am  on  the  subject,  I  will  add  that  the 
"tax  law  "  that  the  Republican  party  boasts  of 
having  given  to  the  people  as  a  temperance 
measure,  is  not  what  the  temperance  people 


MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE.       397 

demanded — is  not  what  we  want.  It  was  a 
measure  which  the  large  dealers  gladly  assented 
to  for  the  hope  of  "  taking  the  question  out  of 
politics,"  and  it  is  an  infraction  of  the  spirit  of 
the  Constitution  of  our  State.  If  this  party  can 
pass  laws  to  restrict  and  regulate,  why  can  it  not 
pass  a  law  to  prohibit  ?  If  it  is  only  able  to  do 
one  and  not  the  other,  then  it  cannot  meet  the 
demands  of  the  people  and  the  times. 

But  I  have  wandered  off  a  long  ways  from  the 
Convention,  and  must  hasten  back.  Our  work 
had  been  a  wonderful  training  school  for  the 
women,  teaching  them  self-reliance,  and  develop- 
ing ability  to  pray  and  speak  in  public  assemblies, 
to  lead  meetings  and  bands,  organize  leagues, 
and  preside  over  and  conduct  Conventions  and 
business  meetings  with  parliamentary  precision, 
as  well  as  womanly  grace.  Quite  a  number 
were,  by  this  time,  giving  considerable  time  to 
traveling,  lecturing  and  organizing.  It  was  not 
a  little  surprising,  therefore,  to  some  of  us,  that 
the  Business  Committee  should  decide  that  it 
was  necessary  that  the  State  Executive  Com- 
mittee ' '  employ  agents  for  the  next  two  months 
to  call  and  attend  County  Conventions,  superin- 
tend the  more  complete  and  thorough  organiza- 
tions of  townships,  villages  and  local  leagues." 

"That  the  State  Executive  Committee  be 
instructed  to  take  such  measures  as  will  secure 
the  necessary  funds  for  carrying  out  the  above 
plan."  [The  women  had  hitherto  done  their 
work,  chiefly  trusting  to  the  Lord  and  the 


398  MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

liberality  of  the  people,  without  stipulation.] 
Further  matter  of  pondering  was  that  these  four 
agents  were  all  gentlemen  and  of  one  political 
party,  and  some  of  them  were  of  my  aforesaid 
interviewers. 

Our  State  Union  was  organized  with — Presi- 
dent, Mrs.  H.  C.  McCabe,  of  Delaware ;  Secre- 
tary, Mrs.  F.  W.  Leiter,  Mansfield ;  Treasurer, 
Mrs.  E.  J.  Thompson,  Hillsboro. 

A  Vice-President  for  each  District  was  elected 
as  follows:  1st,  Mrs.  Rev.  W.  I.  Fee,  Cincin- 
nati ;  2d,  Mrs.  E.  D.  Moore,  Cincinnati ;  3d, 
Mrs.  Belle  Parshall,  Lebanon  ;  4th,  Mrs.  Rev. 
Wm.  Herr,  Dayton;  5th,  Mrs.  Dr.  G.  G. 
Hackaedon,  Lima;  6th,  Mrs.  Jennie  Brown, 
East  Toledo ;  7th,  Mrs.  C.  A.  Beery,  Chilli- 
cothe;  8th,  Mother  Stewart,  Springfield;  pth, 
Mrs.  Anna  Sabin,  Richwood ;  loth,  Mrs.  H. 
Brown,  Findlay;  nth,  Mrs.  R,  B.  Wilson, 
Gallipolis;  I2th,  Mrs.  B.  M.  McMillen,  Circle- 
ville;  1 3th,  Mrs.  Rev.  J.  F.  Ohl,  Zanesville; 
I4th,  Mrs.  L.  M.  Albright,  Upper  Sandusky; 
1 5th,  Mrs.  Angella  C.  Davis,  Athens;  i6th, 
Mrs.  Rose  Wood,  Martin's  Ferry;  i/th,  Mrs. 
Mary  B.  Reese,  Alliance;  iSth,  Mrs.  Briggs, 
Wadsworth;  I9th,  Mrs.  J.  C.  Bateham,  Paines- 
ville  ;  2Oth,  Mrs.  J.  C.  Delamater,  Cleveland. 

It  was  not  a  little  gratifying,  in  looking  over 
the  newspaper  reports  of  the  Convention,  to 
come  across  the  following,  which  I  had  for- 
gotten : 

Mrs.    Huddelson,  of  Cincinnati,    moved  that  in 


MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE.  399 

view  of  the  Christian  heroism  and  self-denial  of 
Mother  Stewart,  as  manifested  in  her  earnest  and 
constant  labors  for  the  great  cause  of  Temperance 
during  the  past  eight  mcmths, 

Resolved,  That  the  Convention  tender  her  its 
appreciation  of  her  devotion  to  the  cause  of  her 
Master  and  her  race,  and  that  it  help  her  with  its 
prayers.  Which  was  adopted. 

As  an  indication  of  our  growth,  the  following 
from  the  Springfield  Republic  will  be  interesting 
to  the  reader: 

A  cloud  as  large,  fully,  as  a  man's  hand,  appeared 
above  the  Convention  horizon  just  before  the  time 
for  adjournment.  Rev.  J.  W.  Spring,  of  this  city, 
introduced  a  resolution  to  abolish  the  use  of  fer- 
mented wine  at  church  communions.  A  lively 
discussion  ensued.  An  amendment  was  offered 
recommending  that  unfermented  wine  only  be  used 
at  such  service. 

Mr.  Middleton  moved  a  substitute  to  the  effect 
that  it  be  recommended  to  churches  to  consider  the 
propriety  of  dispensing  with  the  use  of  fermented 

wine  at  communion.  Mrs.  ,  of  Cleveland, 

hoped  the  Convention  would  not  be  so  fanatical  as 
to  entertain  such  a  resolution.  Resolution,  amend- 
ment and  substitute  were  then  laid  on  the  table  by  a 
vote  of  87  to  55. 

It  is  justice  to  Brother  Spring,  who  introduced 
the  resolution,  to  say  that  he  had  in  his  minis- 
terial work  witnessed  the  fatal  consequences  of 
presenting  the  cup  of  fermented  wine  to  the 
reformed  man  struggling  against  his  besetting 
sin.  It  will  also  be  just  to  the  Chairman,  who 
forestalled  action  upon  the  resolution  by  giving 
his  own  decision  against  it,  to  say  that  in  a 
conversation  with  Mrs.  H.,  a  few  days  later,  in 
my  presence,  he  said  that  he  did  not  at  the  time 
understand  the  nature  of  the  resolution. 


4OO  MEMORIES   OF   THE    CRUSADE. 

But  haven't  we  grown  ? 

The  occasion  of  our  first  State  Convention  was 
one  of  strengthening  of  purposes,  obtaining 
broader  views  of  the  work  and  the  great  battle 
we  had  entered  upon.  It  was  a  grand  benediction, 
and  we  all  buckled  on  our  armor  with  renewed 
hope,  faith  and  zeal,  and  hastened  away  to  our 
several  fields  of  labor. 

A  BUSY  CAMPAIGN  AND  HARD- FOUGHT  BATTLE. 

During  all  the  summer,  rarely  leaving  the 
State,  giving  time  and  such  talent  as  I  had,  I 
did  my  best  to  help  defeat  the  license  clause  to 
the  Constitution.  I  organized  my  own  District 
at  once,  then  off,  without  waiting  to  arrange 
routes  and  thus  shorten  distances  between 
points.  The  calls  came  from  the  most  opposite 
extremes  of  the  State,  and  I  endeavored  to  fill 
them  in  the  order  of  their  dates.  This 'caused 
much  unnecessary  travel  and  heavy  expense,  for 
in  those  days  I  had  no  favors  in  the  way  of 
reduced  fare  on  any  railroads,  nor  for  many 
years  after,  being  too  modest  to  make  applica- 
tion. I  always  think,  with  pleasure,  of  a  single 
exception.  I  was  finding  my  way  to  one  of  the 
county  seats  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  State, and 
had  taken  passage  on  a  new  road  leading  to  the 
town,  when  a  gentleman  entered  the  car,  and 
coming  near  where  I  sat,  inquired  if  Mother 
Stewart  was  aboard.  I  answered  that  I  was 
Mother  Stewart,  whereupon  he  handed  me  a  pass 
over  his  road,  he  being  the  President.  It  was 


MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE.  40! 

not  the  amount — for  that  indeed  was  small — but 
the  kindly  act  was  infinitely  more  to  me  than  it 
cost  him.  Its  rarity,  I  may  say  singularity,  has 
caused  me  to  remember  it  with  grateful  pleasure 
all  these  years. 

I  am  reminded  here  that  one  of  the  many 
pleasant  experiences  and  happenings  that  came 
to  me  was,  that  a  lady  at  our  National  Conven- 
tion in  Minneapolis  introduced  herself,  saying 
she  heard  me  lecture  in  Carrolton  twelve  years 
before,  and  remembered  my  peculiar  subject, 
"A  Screw  Loose,"  suggested  by  the  yet  un- 
settled condition  of  the  new  road-bed.  When 
I  told  her  of  my  favor  on  the  road  by  the  Presi- 
dent, but  expressed  my  regret  that  I  had 
forgotten  the  gentleman's  name,  "Yes,"  she 
said,  "  that  was  my  husband." 

Many  other  Crusaders  also  did  valiant  service 
in  the  new  phase  of  work,  that  of  influencing  the 
voters  to  vote  against  license.  We  held  conven- 
tions, mass  meetings,  street  meetings,  grove 
meetings,  and  nearly  everywhere  had  large  aud- 
iences, and  some  pretty  exciting  experiences. 
At  Perrysburg,  in  the  northern  part  of  the  State, 
I  spoke  in  front  of  a  store,  standing  on  a  dry 
goods  box.  While  a  saloon-keeper  across  the 
way,  with  the  assistance  of  some  lewd  fellows  of 
the  baser  sort,  with  some  sort  of  musical  instru- 
ment, endeavored  to  produce  a  discordant  counter 
attraction.  A  mild  mannered  missile,  in  the  shape 
of  a  small  mud  ball,  was  sent  over  as  an  argu- 

CM) 


402  MEMORIES   OF   THE    CRUSADE. 

ment  on  the  other  side  of  the  question,    but  it 
fell  harmless  at  my  feet. 

From  Perrysburg  I  went  to  Toledo,  and  spoke 
Sabbath  morning  in  a  church.  I  do  not  remem- 
ber where,  but  do  remember  that  it  was  a  fear- 
fully hot  July  day.  In  the  afternoon  I  addressed 
an  audience  in  an  orchard  in  East  To!edo.  I  fell 
into  the  hands  of,  and  was  kindly  entertained 
and  cared  for  by  that  big-hearted  couple  of  tire- 
less workers,  both  in  the  Church  and  temperance 
cause,  D.  N.  Trowbridge  and  wife.  Early  on 
Monday  morning  Mr.  Trowbridge  took  me  to 
call  on  several  of  the  temperance  people,  with 
the  hope  of  enlisting  them  more  fully  in  the  con- 
flict that  was  each  day  waxing  more  intense. 
We  visited  and  had  a  very  pleasant  interview 
with  Ex-Governor  Lee,  who  manifested  much 
interest  in  the  cause.  We  also  called  on  a  min- 
ister— I  am  rather  glad  to  say  that  I  cannot  re- 
member his  name — who  declared  very  emphati- 
cally that  he  was  not  going  to  work  unless 
"  they  "  paid  him.  Brother  Trowbridge,  with- 
out a  word,  put  his  hand  in  his  pocket  and  taking 
out  the  contents  (of  course  I  did  not  see  the 
amount, but  it  was  a  snug  little  roll),  handed  it  to 
him  and  drove  away.  Another  call  was  on  Dr. 
Tenney,  a  friend  of  my  Marietta  Seminary  days. 
I  met  him  at  our  recent  State  Prohibition  Con- 
vention, in  Toledo  (May  24,  25,  1888),  and  he 
told  me  that  he  did,  as  I  suggested,  go  out  and 
do  what  he  could  to  help  win  our  victory.  The 
ladies  have  in  the  years  that  have  passed  done  a 
great  deal  of  hard  work  in  Toledo. 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  403 

At  Tiffin,  I  was  speaking  in  the  yard  of  one 
of  the  churches,  when  the  liquor  men  sent  a  poor, 
intoxicated  man  into  the  audience,  who  made 
his  way  as  near  as  possible  to  me  with  the  pur- 
pose of  saying  something,  when  I  called  the  at- 
tention of  the  people  to  the  fact  that  the  trade 
had  sent  us  in  a  specimen  of  their  handiwork  in 
eff  icing  the  image  of  the  Creator  and  substitut- 
ing that  of  a  brute.  The  poor  creature  was  not 
so  drunk  but  he  caught  an  idea  of  what  I  was 
saying  and  that  he  was  the  subject,  and  with 
some  degree  of  shame  he  suffered  himself  to  be 
led  quietly  away. 

At  Napoleon,  I  addressed  the  people  from  the 
portico  of  the  Court  House,  following  that  grand 
and  eloquent  man,  Rev.  Dr.  Marine,  of  Indiana. 
A  trial  of  a  liquor  case  was  in  progress  in  the 
town,  and  there  was  great  excitement.  While  I 
was  speaking  a  few  eggs  were  thrown  into  the 
audience,  but  I  believe  only  one  person  was  hit. 
A  drinking  man  present  went  to  Esq.  Haag,  who 
was  prosecuting  the  case,  and  told  him  that  he 
had  been  a  drinking  man,  had  always,  been  here- 
tofore on  the  side  of  the  liquor  men,  but,  said  he, 
"  When  it  comes  to  this,  that  a  lady  shall  be  thus 
insulted,  I  am  done,  and  henceforth  I  am  with 
the  other  side.  I  have  called  to  ask  to  be  sworn, 
for  I  know  enough  to  close  every  saloon  in  town. " 

An  urgent  call  came  from  Franklin.  ' '  A  hor- 
rible murder  and  suicide  has  been  committed  and 
we  need  you."  The  saloons  were  beginning  to 
open  up  again  and  of  course  the  consequences 


404  MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

were  following  closely  after.  As  soon  as  I  found 
I  could  go,  I  telegraphed  them.  When  I  arrived 
it  was  nearly  meeting  time,  but  the  telegram  had 
not  reached  them.  But  a  committee  of  ladies 
came  together  in  counsel  and  in  a  few  minutes 
they  had  boys  out  over  town  with  bells,  crying, 
"  Mother  Stewart !  Mother  Stewart!  at  the  Bap- 
tist Church  corner!  "and  by  the  time  to  com- 
mence we  had  a  good  gathering,  I  standing  on  a 
platform  of  boxes,  while  my  audience  stood 
in  the  yard  and  on  the  street.  Here  was  where 
the  sisters  had  done  such  faithful  work,  but,  as 
nearly  everywhere,  the  men  had  failed  to  hold 
the  ground  the  women  had  taken. 

There  was  a  poor  woman  in  town  whose  hus- 
band was  a  drunkard,  and  when  under  the  in- 
fluence of  liquor  abusive  and  dangerous,  often 
threatening  her  life.  She  was  the  sole  support 
of  herself  and  five  children.  She  went  to  the 
town  authorities  and  told  her  situation,  saying 
she  was  afraid  for  her  life,  but  they  told  her  not 
to  be  alarmed,  there  was  no  danger.  She  went 
to  some  of  the  temperance  men,  but  they,  too, 
told  her  to  go  home,  there  was  no  danger.  One 
hot  July  day  the  poor  thing  did  a  heavy  washing 
to  earn  bread  for  herself  and  children.  When  the 
evening  came  she  brought  in  and  folded  her  great 
basket  of  clothes,  and  she  and  the  children 
retired.  About  ten  o'clock  the  man  came  in, 
crazed  with  drink,  took  a  gun  and  shot  his  wife 
and  then  himself.  The  children,  abed  in  the 
same  room,  witnessed  the  shocking  tragedy  and 


MEMORIES   OF   THE    CRUSADE.  405 

gave  the  alarm.  When  the  neighbors  arrived 
both  were  dead  and  a  river  of  blood  had  flowed 
from  the  bed  across  the  room  to  the  hearth.  A 
saloon-keeper  made  a  few  cents  by  selling  the 
liquor,  two  lives  were  sacrificed  and  five 
children  were  thrown  upon  the  charities  of  the 
world.  And  this  is  a  Christian  land! 

The  ladies  of  London,  wonderfully  practical 
and  rich  in  expedients  to  advance  the  cause, 
took  advantage  of  the  monthly  stock  sales  for  this 
purpose.  These  occasions  always  called  together 
a  large  crowd  of  people,  not  only  from  all 
over  the  county,  but  frequently  from  long  dis- 
tances. The  ladies  sent  for  me  to  come  to  them 
on  one  of  these  occasions.  With  the  help  of  our 
lamented  Brother  Finley  and  others,  the  ladies 
arranged  for  me  to  speak  from  the  Court  House 
portico,  it  being  on  the  corner  of  two  of  the  most 
prominent  business  streets.  It  was  a  strange, 
weird  scene.  The  portico  is  reached  by  a 
flight  of  several  stone  steps,  which  made  conven- 
ient seating  for  the  ladies.  On  this  the  Crusa- 
ders found  seats.  Men  stood  wherever  they 
could  find  standing  room  inside  the  Court  House 
yard  or  outside  on  the  street.  Over  all,  the 
clouds  hung  low,  ashen  and  sombre.  The  stock 
men  were  out  in  the  main  street,  but  in  sight  and 
sound,  riding  their  horses  up  and  down,  crying 
their  qualities  and  prices;  others  in  a  lively  com- 
petition of  bidding,  added  to  the  sound  of  voices. 
Mixed  in  were  parties  driving  yokes  of  oxen,  or 
leading  patient  meek-eyed  cows  into  the  throng. 


400  MEMORIES   OF   THE    CRUSADE. 

On  the  portico  stood  a  gray-haired  woman,  with 
what  powers  of  oratory  she  possessed  striving  to 
show  men  the  dangers  threatening  our  fair  Com- 
monwealth if  we  failed  to  defeat  the  license 
scheme  of  the  liquor  men ;  and  urging  them,  as 
they  loved  their  homes  and  country,  to  vote  for 
the  best  interests  of  the  same. 

So,  going  and  working  up  to  the  day  before 
election,  I  addressed  an  out-door  meeting  in  the 
afternoon  from  the  Court  House  steps  in  Urbana, 
took  the  train  home,  went  direct  from  the  cars 
to  the  City  Hall  and  addressed  a  fine  audience  of 
my  colored,  voting  fellow-citizens — or  yours,  I  am 
not  a  voter,  I  am  only  a  woman.  I  reached  home 
at  eleven  o'clock  at  night.  If  I  had  gone  the 
next  day  and  offered  to  add  my  vote  to  my  labors 
on  the  side  of  the  best  interests  of  humanity,  I 
would  have  been  fined  and  imprisoned  and  who 
knows  what  not — because  I  am  a  woman. 

But  thus  it  was,  we  fought  and  won  the  battle, 
and  defeated  the  liquor  clause  in  the  constitution 
by  something  over  seven  thousand  votes,  though 
nearly  every  secular  paper  in  the  State  was 
against  us  and  in  the  interest  of  the  liquor  men. 
We,  at  the  same  time,  did  our  best  to  defeat  the 
Constitution,  so  that  if  we  were  beaten  on  the 
license  issue  we  might  escape  through  the  failure 
of  the  adoption  of  the  Constitution,  and  it  too 
was  defeated.  The  people  of  Ohio  said  emphatic- 
ally, WE  WILL  NOT  HAVE  THIS  SUM  OF  ALL 
VILLAINIES  FASTENED  UPON  US. 


CHAPTER    XX. 


Enumeration  of  the  Benefits  of  the  Crusade. 


SEPTEMBER  a  call  was  made  by  the 
President,  Mrs.  McCabe,  for  a  meeting  of 
the  State  Executive  Committee,  to  try  to 
devise  some  answer  to  the  oft-repeated  inquiry, 
"What  next  shall  we  do?"  The  Crusade  form 
of  work  had  ceased,  and  in  many  places  the 
women  were  at  a  loss  to  know  what  to  do,  or 
how  to  keep  up  the  interest  and  carry  forward 
the  work.  What  a  bewilderment  of  joy  it 
would  have  been  to  those  dear,  tried  and 
puzzled  Crusaders  to  have  had  poured  into 
their  laps — their  laps  couldn't  begin  to  hold  them 
— the  instructions,  the  helps,  the  hints,  the  leaflets, 
Union  Signal  (a  whole  magazine  of  itself),  and 
books  "too  numerous  to  mention,"  that  the 
sisters  of  to-day  are  feasting  on  and  fairly  rioting 
in,  on  the  endless  branches  of  work  that  have  been 
taken  up  in  the  past  years.  But  we  were  then  still 
feeling  our  way,  and,  with  prayer  and  tears,  look- 
ing to  the  Lord  to  lead  us  on. 

We  met  at  Delaware  and  had  a  very  pleasant 
session,    discussing   and   recommending  various 

407 


408  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

methods  of  prosecuting  our  work.  One  that  was 
recommended  by  the  sub-committee  and  indorsed 
by  the  whole,  was  to  prepare  for  watching  the 
legislature.  Our  McConnelsville  Ordinance  had 
been  threatened  the  year  before ;  and  it  was  now 
evident  that  a  desperate  move  would  be  made  on 
the  legislature  by  the  liquor  men  to  break  down 
what  little  refuge  of  law  we  had.  This  plan, 
evolved  after  not  a  little  reflection,  was  to  instruct 
the  county  unions  to  select,  say,  three  of  their 
best  members  for  such  a  mission,  including  at 
least  one  gentleman,  holding  them  as  "minute 
men,"  ready  to  go  upon  summons  of  a  commit- 
tee at  the  Capital  and  give  a  week  to  watching 
and  working  with  the  members — thus  through- 
out the  session,  or  at  least  when  the  liquor 
question  should  be  brought  forward,  keeping 
vigilant  oversight  of  our  law-makers.  But,  as  I 
have  said,  while  this  suggestion  was  unanimously 
adopted,  it  was  not  acted  upon.  I  never  learned 
why.  Possibly  it  was  considered  too  aggressive, 
may  be  looked  too  much  like  ' '  mixing  in  politics. ' ' 
But  we  have  long  since  come  to  see  the  necessity 
of  watching  our  Solons.  In  our  own  State  we 
have  a  little  lady*  standing  through  the  long  session 
alone,  watching  with  intense  vigilance  the  action  of 
the  Legislature  on  her  Scientific  Instruction  Bill. 
(Since  this  writing  she  has  succeeded,  though 
the  law  is  not  all  she  asked. )  The  prohibitory 
feature  of  the  ordinance  was  repealed  that  win- 
ter, and  the  Adair  law  was  so  crippled  by  the 
amendment  making  it  necessary  to  give  ten  days 

•Mrs.  F.  W.  Leiter. 


MEMORIES   OF    THE    CRUSADE.  409 

notice  before  prosecution,  as  to  virtually  render 
it  of  no  effect. 

I  was  filling  a  series  of  engagements  in  Penn- 
sylvania, when  the  call  for  the  meeting  reached 
me,  the  last  point  being  Meadville.  After  my 
evening  lecture,  I  went  from  the  church  to  the 
depot  and  waited  till  twelve  o'clock,  then  took 
the  train  and  reached  Delaware  about  one  o'clock 
next  day;  did  not  get  my  breakfast  till  after  one. 
The  loss  of  sleep,  fatigue  and  fasting  brought  on  a 
sickening  headache.  But  I  continued  to  work 
with  the  committee, and  we  were  about  closing  up, 
when  a  gentleman  came  in  from  a  political  con- 
vention that  was  in  session  in  the  city.  He,  in 
very  polite  fashion,  explained  that  he  had  been 
commissioned  as  a  committee  of  one  by  the  con- 
vention to  come  and  invite  the  ladies  to  visit  that 
body.  The  delegates  desired  so  much  to  hear 
the  Crusaders  ;  they  did  not  know  of  our  meeting 
when  they  arranged  for  theirs ;  they  were  very 
sorry.  He  was  himself  a  Crusader  and  felt  a 
deep  interest  in  the  temperance  work,  etc.  It 
must  have  been  that  I  was  again  overtaken  with 
a  spasm  of  the  immortal  Topsy's  ailment,  for  I 
suggested  to  my  neighbor  to  move  that  we  accept 
the  invitation,  and  she  did.  The  motion  was 
seconded  and  after  several  counts,  during  which  I 
could  see  that  the  chairman  was  not  a  little  dis- 
turbed in  mind,  it  was  carried,  and  the  presiding 
officer,  not  a  little  reluctantly,  led  us  in  proces- 
sion to  the  City  Hall. 

The  speaker  was  in  the  midst  of  an  exposition  of 


410  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

the  evil  deeds  of  the  other  party ;  whether  it  was 
timed  for  the  occasion  I  could  not  say.  When  he 
was  through,  our  chairman  was  invited  to  introduce 
some  of  her  lady  speakers.  She  presented  two, 
who  spoke  for  a  few  minutes.  I  think  she  had 
her  doubts  about  putting  Mother  Stewart  forward 
in  a  political  meeting.  But  there  seemed  to  be  a 
demand  for  me,  and  she  sent  the  Secretary  of  the 
meeting  to  take  me  to  the  platform.  As  I  have 
said,  I  was  very  weary  and  my  head  was  aching 
fearfully.  I  did  not  know  when  I  stepped  forward 
what  I  should  say,  but  started  out  with  the 
remark  that  finding  ourselves  mixed  up  in  a 
political  meeting,  it  would  be  necessary  for  us 
Crusaders  to  define  our  position,  lest  we  might 
be  misunderstood.  Sister  Reese  just  then  came 
to  my  rescue  by  saying,  "  Step  onto  that  plank 
in  the  platform,  Mother  Stewart, "  referring  to  the 
rather  narrow  and  very  weak  plank  this  party  had 
inserted  in  its  platform  that  year  in  regard  to 
temperance.  Looking  down  at  my  feet  with  a 
blush  of  mortification,  I  responded  that  I  could 
not  stand  on  it,  my  feet  were  too  large.  This  was 
more  wickedness,  and  was  not  relished  very  well. 
But  there  were  a  good  many  gentlemen  there 
who  saw  and  expressed  their  appreciation  of  the 
point.  I  told  them  that  while  we  gave  all  honor 
to  men, in  whatever  party,  who  enrolled  themselves 
with  us,  the  Crusaders  were  all  prohibitionists 
—whether  they  knew  it  or  not,  that  was  the  fact. 
I  had  never  heard  a  Crusader  offer  up  a  prayer, 
whether  in  the  loathsome  den  where  eternal  woe 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 


411 


was  dealt  out  at  a  few  pennies  a  glass,  or  on  the 
hard,  frozen  ground,  ^but  the  cry  was  always,  ' '  Oh 
Lord,  wipe  out  the  curse."  There  were  enough 
present  to  endorse  the  sentiments  I  uttered  and 
as  I  passed  out  they  said  some  very  kind  words. 
But  I  have  never  been  invited  to  address  a  politi- 
cal meeting  of  that  complexion  since,  and,  as  far 
as  I  know  that  was  the  last  open  attempt  to 
"capture  the  Crusaders."  I  was,  I  have  not 
much  doubt,  however,  laying  up  wrath  for  myself 
against  the* 'day  of  wrath,"  that  was  revealed 
only  a  few  weeks  later. 

In  October  I  was  called  to  Chicago  by  our  now 
world-renowned  National  President,  Miss  F.  E. 
Willard,  who  had  been  made  President  of  the 
union  there,and  had  entered  with  great  earnestness 
and  enthusiasm  into  the  work, — which  earnestness 
and  enthusiasm  have  been  increasing  with  each 
succeeding  year  in  geometrical  ratio.  I  spent  a 
week  in  the  city, — our  Sister  M.  E.  Griffith,  now 
temperance  evangelist  of  Kansas,  was  there  at 
the  same  time.  Our  first  meeting  was  a  citizens' 
mass  meeting,  held  in  the  First  M.  E.  Church, 
Dr.  Thomas  then  being  pastor,  and  Dr.  Ryder,  of 
the  Universalist  Church,  presided.  For  many 
reasons  this  was  an  important  meeting.  It  was 
among  the  earliest  moves  of  our  wonderfully 
efficient  and  far-seeing  President.  The  place, 
the  men,  ministers,  lawyers  and  business  men 
that  helped  to  compose  that  assembly,  giving 
character  to  it  by  their  unqualified  indorsement, 
combined  to  make  it  an  important  initiation  of 


412  MEMORIES    OF   THE    CRUSADE. 

many  such  that  have  followed.  But  with  all, 
Chicago  stoutly  maintains  high  license.  Not  high 
enough,  however.  I  see  the  City  Collector  sug- 
gests that  the  license  will  have  to  be  raised  to 
prevent  the  further  multiplication  of  saloons,  but 
nothing  said  about  the  reduction  of  drinks,  or  of 
A  the  souls  sent  through  these  wide-open  gates  to 
eternal  woe.  And  I  see  that  a  Judge  has  recently 
decided  that  a  saloon-keeper  indicted  for  selling 
liquor  to  a  young  girl,  that  caused  her  ruin,  was 
not  guilty  because  the  law  reads  minors,  and  this 
was  only  ONE!  Smart  people, those  Chicagoans. 
Sensible,  very !  Why  didn't  they  impose  a  high 
license  on  those  Haymarket  assassins,  instead  of  a 
high  gallows?  I  wonder  if  there  can  be  found  ten 
righteous  men  in  this  Sodom  by  the  sea?  Let  us 
see,  there  is  the  editor  of  the  N,  W,  Christrian 
Advocate,  and  Dr.  Judkins.and  Dr.  Herrick  John- 
son, (but  he  opposes  the  ballot  in  woman's  hand ; 
he'll  come  to  it  beautifully,  though,  before  this 
cruel  war  is  over),  Van  Fleet,  that  mighty  man 
with  his  hand  on  the  *  *  Lever ;"  Hobbs,  and  Geo. 
C.  Hall,  and — and — who  else  ?  I  believe  the  Lord 
is  counting  in  the  women  in  this  case  of  emergency. 
Mrs.  Carse,  Mrs  Hobbs,  Mrs.  Rounds,  and  then 
*our  ubiquitous  President,  is  there  a  good  deal, 
too,  with  a  brigade  of  white  ribbon  soldiers,  all 
working  and  praying  with  their  might.  But 
what  of  our  meeting?  I  will  introduce  the  editor 
of  the  N.  W.  Christian  Advocate,  who  will  report 
it  better  than  I  can : 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 


413 


THE   TEMPERANCE    MOVEMENT    IN  CHICAGO. 

A  great  temperance  meeting  took  place  in  the  First 
Methodist  Episcopal  church,  Oct.  2pth  evening, 
which  is  the  sign  of  the  opening  campaign  against 
intemperance  in  this  city.  The  church  was  filled 
with  people  of  all  denominations,  assembled  for  the 
one  purpose  of  commencing  a  war  in  defense  of 
sobriety.  Dr.  W.  H.  Ryder,  Pastor  of  St.  Paul's 
Universalist  church,  was  chosen  chairman.  Addresses 
were  made  by  Rev.  Dr.  W.  W.  Everts,  Pastor  of  the 
First  Baptist  church,  Dr.  H.  W.  Thomas,  Pastor  of 
the  First  M.  E.  church,  Miss  Frances  E.  Willard, 
President  of  the  Woman's  Temperance  Association; 
Hon.  Emory  A.  Storrs,  and  others.  Dr.  Everts 
thought  public  opinion  should  be  directed  to  the  one 
point  of  suppressing  the  four  thousand  saloons  of 
Chicago.  As  long  as  these  dens  were  in  existence  it 
would  be  impossible  to  prevent  young  men  from  fall- 
ing victims  to  intoxicating  liquors.  Dr.  Everts  is 
right.  But  how  is  this  "Giant  Grim"  to  be  overthrown  ? 
The  doctor  gave  point  to  his  remarks  by  instancing 
Evanston,  a  place  of  ten  thousand  people,  where 
there  is  not  a  grog-shop  in  existence.  Dr.  Thomas 
expressed  himself  as  heart  and  soul  with  the  move- 
ment. He  advocated  the  right  of  women  to  vote,  as 
one  of  the  means  of  reforming  the  country.  Miss 
Willard  gave  an  interesting  account  of  the  recent 
temperance  Convention  held  at  Bloomington,  111.,  and 
announced  a  programme  of  temperance  meetings  for 
this  week  in  various  parts  of  the  city.  Hon.  Emory 
A.  Storrs,  who  is  a  lawyer  of  high  standing  in  his 
profession,  delivered  a  forcible  address,  in  which  he 
showed  that  the  claim  that  drunkenness  is  due  largely 
to  impure  liquors,  was  a  deception  and  a  fraud.  He* 
urged  that  the  only  safety  was  in  total  abstinence. 
Make  drinking  intoxicating  liquors  disreputable  as 
gambling  is  disreputable,  and  it  would  be  a  long 
step  toward  reform.  Mr.  Storrs  urged  that  complete 
organization  of  the  friends  of  temperance  must  be 
effected  and  diligent  work  must  be  done. 

The  best  speech  of  the  evening  was  made  by 
"Mother"  Stewart,  the  woman  who  began  "the 
Crusade  "  in  Ohio.  She  struck  several  nails  on  the 


4H  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

head  as  follows  :  I  come  to  you  as  a  committee  of 
one  to  say  that  the  way  to  advance  our  cause  is  for 
every  man  and  woman  to  exert  themselves  to  the 
utmost  in  the  suppression  of  the  crime  of  drunkenness. 
The  evil  is  one  of  gigantic  proportions,  but  it  can  be 
put  down  if  the  people  will  it.  I  thought  this  even- 
ing of  the  text,  "Righteousness  exalteth  a  nation, 
but  sin  is  a  reproach  to  any  people."  I  charge  you 
with  being  a  nation  of  drunkards,  and  you  have  been 
asleep  to  the  existence  of  the  evil.  Many  of  our 
ministers  have  gone  down  to  their  graves  drunkards. 
This  is  a  terrible  fact,  but  upon  investigation  it  has 
proved  to  be  correct.  The  church  is  to  blame  for 
it,  and  I  do  not  charge  the  church  wrongfully.  Its 
members  have  slept  at  their  posts,  and  we  have 
what  you  see — a  nation  of  drunkards.  The  number 
of  saloons  in  every  city  of  the  United  States  is  largely 
out  of  proportion  to  the  number  of  churches.  In 
New  York  there  are  sufficient  saloons  to  reach  ten 
miles,  six  stories  high,  and  in  your  own  city  you  have 
four  thousand  saloons.  Are  we  a  Christian  people  ? 
Each  one  of  these  saloons  can  do  more  damage  in 
one  Sabbath  than  all  your  churches  put  together  can 
counteract.  It  is  a  pitiful  sight  to  see  women  have  to 
rise  up  and  plead  with  men  only  to  keep  the  laws.  What 
would  the  world  have  said  if  the  men  had  allowed 
the  women  to  turn  out  during  the  late  war  and  meet 
the  enemy  ?  But  women  are  now  facing  a  more  ter- 
rible foe  than  our  soldiers  had  to  face,  and  it  is 
necessary  that  both  men  and  women  should  join  in 
this  work.  There  is  no  issue  involved  in  the  present 
elections  which  so  vitally  affects  the  interests  of  the 
country  as  does  this  temperance  question,  and  it  is 
the  duty  of  every  man  during  this  election  to  vote  for 
men  who  will  assist  in  suppressing  the  evil  of  intem- 
perance. I  say  to  you  men  to-day,  the  whisky  ring 
represents  you  and  your  wives  and  daughters,  and 
that  ring  rules  you  with  a  rod  of  iron.  (Applause.) 
You  are  going  to  have  an  election  in  a  few  days,  and 
many  of  the  balloting  places  are  in  saloons.  You  will 
not  have  ballot-boxes  in  saloons  when  your  wives 
and  daughters  have  votes.  Men  talk  so  much  about 
the  policy  of  expediency,  but  I  say  there  is  no  policy 
but  the  policy  of  right.  ( Applause.)  What  can  be 


MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE.  415 

more  deplorable  than  to  have  our  country  ruled  by 
whisky  and  our  sons  and  husbands  dragged  to  eternal 
woe.  Your  laws  against  drinking  are  merely  sops 
thrown  to  you  by  the  liquor-dealers.  Among  your 
laws  you  have  one  which  provides  that  a  man  shall 
obtain  a  certificate  of  his  good  moral  character  before 
he  can  become  a  saloon-keeper.  The  very  idea  of 
the  thing !  It  is  an  utter  impossibility  for  such  a  man 
to  have  a  good  moral  character.  If  women  had  made 
such  a  law,  men  would  say,  "  It  is  just  what  we  can 
expect  from  them."  (Laughter,  and  "Hear, 
Hear.  "  )  I  say  if  the  liquor  traffic  were  stopped, 
your  taxes  would  soon  be  cut  down.  I  want  you  men 
to  understand  that  from  this  traffic,  sixty-one  million 
dollars  goes  into  the  treasury  of  the  United  States, 
and  it  takes  ninety  million  dollars  to  keep  up  this 
wicked  traffic.  I  ask  you  to  put  these  figures  in  your 
hats,  and  when  you  go  to  the  pol's  look  at  these 
figures  and  vote  for  the  suppression  of  the  evil  which 
must  destroy  the  country.  I  appeal  to  you  to  crush 
out  this  traffic  before  the  country  is  destroyed  by  it. 
(  Applause.) 

There  is  the  true  ring  of  the  reformer  in  these 
sentences,  which  will  bear  examination,  as  an  address, 
which  cannot  be  said  of  mere  **  gush."  The  sug- 
gestion that  polling  places  will  be  removed  from 
saloons  when  women  vote,  will  prove  itself  true  to  the 
conscious  prescience  of  every  person.  It  is  time  we 
men  began  to  see  more  clearly  than  we  do  the  de- 
moralizing tendencies  of  this  alliance  of  politics  and 
whisky,  which  is  so  patent  to  every  one,  when  he 
comes  to  the  exercise  of  the  highest  prerogative  of  an 
American  citizen,  the  casting  of  a  vote  for  the  men 
who  are  to  carry  on  the  functions  of  his  government, 
re  the  meeting  adjourned,  a  first-rate  committee 
V.MS  nominated  to  thoroughly  organize  for  effective 
w..rk  in  the  temperance  cause  throughout  the  city. 
1  )car  people,  be  moving  everywhere. 

It  was  at  this  meeting,  to  the  best  of  my  recol- 
lection, that  I  uttered  the  first  word  in  the  Cru- 
sade campaign  on  the  subject  of  woman  suffrage. 
This  statement  I  know  will  surprise  many  who 


416  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

have  heard  that  by  my  ' '  persistent  lugging  in  of 
woman  suffrage,  I  had  broken  up  the  work  in 
my  State."  In  response  to  Dr.  Thomas'  assertion 
that  it  would  be  necessary  to  put  the  ballot  into 
woman's  hand  before  we  would  be  able  to  over- 
come the  evil,  I  said,  when  that  time  came,  the 
polling  boxes  would  not  be  found  in  the  saloons, 
as  was  the  case  in  Chicago  at  that  time.  It  does 
not  look  on  the  face  of  it  as  though  that  declara- 
tion was  worthy  of  death,  does  it  ? 

A  few  weeks  after,  in  Eaton  Rapids,  Mich., 
the  Methodist  minister  in  whose  church  I  spoke, 
having  seen  the  report  of  this  meeting,  and  being 
himself  a  warm  advocate  of  equal  suffrage,  called 
me  out  on  the  subject.  I  explained  that  I  had 
not  mentioned  the  subject  in  connection  with  my 
Crusade  work,  but  now,  being  called  on  for  my 
views,  I  felt  free  to  give  them.  Even  then,  and 
under  such  circumstances,  it  was  pretty  near 
worth  my  life  to  do  it.  But  it  was  known  that  I 
held  this  view,  which  was  reason  enough  for 
bitter  persecution.  I  am  not  lonesome  now,  for 
I  have  a  great  army  of  white  ribboners  with  me.  * 
But  I  cannot  leave  this  Chicago  mass-meeting 
without  referring  to  one  other  fact  that  to  me 


*I  am  happy  to  record  that  at  that  greatest  convention 
ever  held  in  this  or  any  other  country,  May  30,  31,  1888,  in 
Indianapolis,  the  Prohibition  party,  with  scarcely  a  men- 
tionable  opposition,  reaffirmed  their  endorsement  of  equal 
suffrage  irrespective  of  sex.  And  Frances  E.  Willard  and 
Sam  hmall,  hitherto  leaders  of  the  opposite  wings,  stepped 
onto  the  plank  and  stood  there  with  clasped  hands,  while 
the  Convention,  amid  the  waving  of  handkerchiefs  and 
wildest  enthusiasm,  drove  the  golden  spike  of  eternal  jus- 
tice into  it,  nailing  it  firmly  to  the  platform  forever. 


MEMORIES  OF  THE   CRUSADE.  417 

had  much  significance.  It  has  been  stated  that 
Dr.  Ryder,  of  the  Universalist  Church,  presided. 
I,  being  the  stranger,  was  last  on  the  programme. 
When  my  turn  came,  the  Doctor  took  me  by 
the  hand  and  led  me  to  the  front  of  the  plat- 
form, where  we  stood  for  a  few  moments  in  silence, 
while  the  audience  greeted  us  with  prolonged 
applause.  It  was  one  of  the  happiest  experiences 
of  my  life.  I  had  seen  from  the  beginning  that 
it  would  require  the  united  effort  of  #// Christians 
of  all  names  to  overcome  the  enemy  ;  and  I  had 
in  a  quiet  way  done  what  I  could  to  enlist  in  our 
ranks  members  from  all  Churches,  not  forgetting 
those  of  the  Universalist  denomination.  Not 
that  they  were  reluctant  to  aid,  for  I  have  gen- 
erally found  both  ministers  and  people  of  that 
church  sound  on  the  temperance  question,  many 
of  the  ministers  among  the  strongest  advocates 
of  the  cause.  But  some  of  our  good  orthodox 
friends  were  not  sure  whether  the  great  call  to 
go  out  into  the  vineyard  was  a  general  one. 
Here,  after  the  toil  and  the  tears,  was  my  spirit 
cheered  as  by  a  cluster  of  the  grapes  of  Eshcol. 
A  veteran  Methodist  of  more  than  forty  years, 
and  a  learned  divine  of  the  Universalist  Church, 
standing  hand  in  hand  in  the  blessed  work,  while 
that  vast  audience  with  a  good  will  shouted, 
"Amen." 

Yes,  one  of  the  most  blessed  features  of  our 
work  was  the  breaking  down  of  the  sectarian 
barriers  that  had  so  long  prevented  united 
Christian  effort  for  the  advancement  of  the 

(27) 


MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADfc. 

Redeemer's  kingdom.  It  was  not  a  little  amus- 
ing to  hear  our  sisters  say,  after  a  short  associa- 
tion in  our  Crusade,  "Why,  I  don't  see  but  they 
are  just  like  us. "  "Why,  she  prays  just  like  a  Meth- 
odist," or  "I  never  thought  I  could  come  to 
feel  so  much  at  home  with  the  Methodists."  "  I 
love  those  Baptist  sisters  as  well  as  I  do  those  of 
our  own  church."  How  blessed  it  was  to  come 
to  feel  that  we  all  belonged  to  the  same  house- 
hold of  faith,  and  were,  in  very  deed,  all  one  in 
Christ  Jesus. 

After  closing  my  engagements  in  Chicago,  I 
rilled  a  series  of  engagements  in  Michigan,  be- 
ginning at  Muskegon,  thence  to  White  Hall, 
then  through  the  dense  forests  thirty  miles  by 
private  conveyance  to  Pent  Water,  where  I  first 
met  our  dear  Sister  E.  J.  Gray,  who  was  leading 
the  work  up  in  that  forest  region.  She  afterwards 
returned  to  Ohio,  and  for  several  years  served 
with  unflagging  zeal  and  energy  as  our  State 
Treasurer.  From  Pent  Water  I  went  to  Big 
Rapids.  Here  dear  Sister  Hood,  the  President,  full 
of  zeal  and  enthusiasm,  devised  quite  an  ingenious 
method  of  getting  out  an  audience.  Some  of 
the  good  citizens  had  been  considerably  exercised 
on  the  subject  of  Spiritualism,  and  as  I  walked 
along  the  board  sidewalks,  I  saw  at  short  distances, 
pasted  on  the  boards,  ' '  Mother  Stewart  will 
lecture  to-night  on  Spirits  !"  Somewhat  ambigu- 
ous, but  we  had  a  good  audience ;  interrupted 
however  by  the  cry  of  "  fire  !"  about  the  time 
we  got  fairly  into  our  subject,  which  soon  took 


MEMORIES  0$  THE  CRUSADE. 

our  audience.  In  those  Michigan  lumber  regions 
a  fire  has  more  than  ordinary  terrors.  This  was 
a  business  house  in  the  most  crowded  part  of  the 
town.  While  the  firemen  worked'  hour  after 
hour,  the  W.  C.  T.  U. ,  having  organized  for  the 
purpose,  stood  by  them  with  hot  coffee,  and 
guarding  them  from  the  ever  present  temptation, 
the  saloon.  Thus  they  stood  guard  till  2  o'clock 
in  the  morning.  The  business  men  expressed 
their  gratitude  in  warmest  terms,  saying  it  was 
due  to  the  ladies  that  the  fiiemen  were  kept 
sober  and  able  to  at  length  subdue  the  flames 
without  the  destruction  of  property  that  would 
otherwise  inevitably  have  followed.  We  were 
not  interrupted  the  second  night.  In  my 
route  I  spoke  in  one  of  Michigan's  pleasant  col- 
lege towns,  and  was  entertained  by  the  matron 
of  the  institution,  a  very  intelligent  and  pious 
lady.  I  asked  her  if  the  students  gave  much 
trouble  to  the  professors.  "Oh  no,"  she  an- 
swered, she  heard  of  no  cases  of  discipline.  Did 
they  have  no  trouble  in  regard  to  their  drinking 
or  visiting  the  saloons?  "No,"  none  that  she 
heard  of.  The  next  morning,  before  I  left,  a 
lady  who  lived  near  the  college  called  on  me, 
and  with  so  much  feeling  that  she  could  not 
keep  back  the  tears,  said  she  felt  that  she  must 
come  and  unburden  her  heart  to  me.  There 
was  a  liquor-seller  next  door  to  her  who  was 
ruining  the  students  ;  he  had  a  chamber  only 
across  a  narrow  alley  from  her  own,  where  nightly 
the  students  were  in  the  habit  of  gathering,  after 


42O  MEMORIES  OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

the  professors  had  retired,  and  drinking  and 
having  what  they,  poor  deluded  creatures,  called 
a  "good  time."  She  begged  me  to  see  if  some- 
thing could  not  be  done  to  save  them.  But  I 
had  to  leave.  If  I  could  have  had  the  informa- 
tion before  my  lecture,  perhaps  I  might  have  at 
least  "ventilated  "  the  case.  So  often  it  has  oc- 
curred that  the  very  facts  that  I  could  have  used 
to  good  purpose  would  not  reach  me  till  it  would 
be  too  late. 

My  last  meeting  in  the  series  was  at  Jackson, 
where  I  was  entertained  by  a  minister  of  the  M. 
E.  Church,  who  on  Sabbath  morning  broiled 
the  beefsteak  in  most  appetizing  fashion,  and 
made  a  delicious  cup  of  coffee,  then  took  a  car- 
riage and  drove  me  to  a  church  and  preached 
me  a  good  sermon.  It  was  a  woman,  of  course, 
Rev.  Mary  T.  Lathrop,  of  whom  all  the  world  has 
long  since  heard. 

FIRST  NATIONAL  W.    C.   T.    CONVENTION. 

A  twelve-month  had  rolled  around,  our  Cru- 
sade spirit  had  spread  far  and  wide.  State  after 
State  had  fallen  into  line.  But  there  was  yet 
much  land  to  be  possessed  and  regions  beyond 
to  be  reached,  and  the  "praying  women"  were 
still  looking  to  the  Lord  for  guidance.  One  of 
them,  Mattie  McC.  Brown,  who  had  been  in  the 
field  for  years  before  the  Crusade,  with  pen 
and  voice  urging  on  the  Good  Templar  hosts, 
was  spending  a  season  at  Chautauqua  that 
summer.  And  here,  while  before  the  Lord,  the 
thought  of  a  National  Convention  was  impressed 


MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE.  42! 

upon  her  mind.  She  hastened  to  communicate 
it  to  other  "  praying  women. "  A  counsel  was 
held  and  the  result  was,  a  National  Convention 
was  called  to  meet  in  Cleveland,  November  1 8th. 
This  call  was  responded  to  by  a  large  representa- 
tion of  women  from  all  the  States  where  our 
work  had  been  taken  up.  The  enthusiasm,  the 
good  feeling  and  loving  greetings  of  the  dear 
sisters,  many  of  whom  I  had  organized  and  led 
onto  the  street,  others  whom  I  had  been  called 
to  help,  with  many  others  whom  I  had  never 
met  before,  were  very  cheering  to  the  weary 
Crusader. 

The  Convention  was  duly  organized  by  elect- 
ing Mrs.  Jennie  F.  Willing,  of  Illinois,  as  Chair- 
man, with -a  Vice  -  President  from  each  State 
represented.  Miss  Aureta  Hoyt,  of  Indianapolis, 
Ind.,  and  Mrs.  Mary  Burt,  Auburn,  N.  Y., 
were  elected  Secretaries ;  Mrs.  W.  A.  Ingham, 
Cleveland,  Treasurer. 

A  very  full  and  fair  report  of  the  proceedings 
of  this  first  National  Convention  was  given  by  the 
various  papers  represented.  Among  these,  I 
may  name  the  National  Temperance  Advocate,  by 
its  editor,  J.  N.  Stearns ;  the  Cincinnati  Com- 
\  ia/,  by  the  regular  reporter,  Mr.  Loomis,  and 
the  Cincinnati  Gazette,  by  Col.  Furay. 

The  various  committees  were  appointed  and  in 
due  time  brought  in  their  several  reports,  which 
were  acted  upon  by  the  Convention.  The  elec- 
tion of  officers  resulted  as  follows : 

President,    Mrs.    Anna   Wittenmyer;    Corre- 


422  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

spending  Secretary,  Miss  F.  E.  Willard  ;  Record- 
ing Secretary,  Mrs.  Mary  C.  Johnson ;  Treasurer, 
Mrs  W.  A.  Ingham  ;  with  some  twelve  Vice- 
Presidents. 

From  a  lengthy  report  lying  before  me,  I  see 
»that  upon  the  convention  being  declared  organ- 
ized and  ready  for  work,  Mother  Stewart,  of 
Springfield,  Ohio,  moved  the  appointment  of  a 
Committee  on  Plan  of  Work,  and  Mother  Stew- 
art;  Mrs.  *Z.  G.  Wallace,  of  Indiana;  Mrs.  Allen 
Butler,  of  N.  Y.;  Mrs.  J.  S.  Collins,  of  Pennsyl- 
vania; MissF.  E.  Willard,  of  Chicago,  111.,  were 
appointed,  and  Mrs.  H.  N.  K.  GofTand  Mrs. 
M.  McC.  Brown  were  added  by  request. 

This  committee,  out  of  much  free  discussion, 
interchange  of  views  and  earnest  prayer,  brought 
forth  the  first  Appeal  and  Flan  of  Work  of  the 
National  Union,  The  committee  working  on  it 
till  time  for  adjournment  at  night,  put  it  into 
the  hands  of  Miss  Willard  and  Mrs.  M.  McClel- 
lan  Brown,  our  Secretaries,  who  finished  it,  and 
on  their  knees  at  2  o'clock  in  the  morning,  first 
submitted  it  to  the  Lord  for  His  acceptance  and 
blessing  ;  and  the  next  morning  it  was  presented 
to  the  convention.  The  following  is  a  copy  of 
this: 

ADDRESS   AND    PLAN    OF    WORK  PRESENTED  BY  THE 

UNDERSIGNED  COMMITTEE  TO  THE  WOMEN'S 

NATIONAL  CONVENTION. 

APPEAL. 

Women,  sisters,  mothers  in  all  lands,  give  your  at- 
tention to  the  facts  herein  stated  and  let  them  awaken 


MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE. 


423 


in  your  humane  hearts  all  the  noble  instincts  of  your 
two-fold  nature. 

The  liquor  traffic  is  the  greatest  curse  of  our  race. 
It  is  undermining  our  nation  by  violating  the  spirit 
and  letter  of  its  Constitution  (which  was  framed  for 
the  protection  of  the  weak  against  the  strong), by  an- 
tagonizing all  the  noble  principles  upon  which  it  is 
founded,  by  paralyzing  all  our  institutions,  civil,  intel- 
lectual, moral  and  religious,  by  perverting  the  cardi- 
nal issues  of  human  destiny,  life,  liberty  and  love, 
which  embody  "the  pursuit  of  happiness." 

This  traffic  is  draining  our  financial  resources  with- 
out compensation,  hoarding  up  the  millions  in  an 
unholy  monopoly  ;  collecting  them  pitilessly  off  the 
poor,  misguided  vassals  of  the  drink-demon.  The 
moneys  thus  expended  every  year  exceed  the  expen- 
diture on  all  the  humane  and  intellectual  enterprises 
of  the  land.  It  is  equal  every  year  to  all  that  has 
ever  been  expended  in  church  enterprises  since  the 
landing  of  the  Mayflower.  Counting  the  loss  of  time 
of  the  intemperate,  this  outgo  of  the  nation's  property 
would  load  a  train  of  wagons,  with  a  ton  of  gold  to 
each  wagon,  thirteen  miles  long. 

Poverty  and  suffering  everywhere  result  to  the 
lower  classes.  Among  the  highest  classes,  usefulness 
and  genius  are  quenched  in  the  rum-glass.  Grog- 
shops are  ten  times  as  frequent  as  both  churches  and 
school-houses.  To  the  want  of  improvement  of  the 
lower  classes  we  must  add  a  nine-fold  commission  of 
crime.  The  imbecility,  insanity,  idiocy,  ignorance 
and  wickedness  of  the  nation  are  mainly  due  to  this 
use.  The  care  of  these  and  other  classes  of  sufferers 
imposes  unjust  burdens  on  good  citizens.  Our  per- 
sonal liberty  is  violated.  Our  homes,  which  should 
be  the  paradise  of  earth  joy,  are  devastated  by  the 
curse.  Our  temporal  existence  is  imperiled,  and  who 
can  predict  the  generating  power  upon  generations 
yet  to  be. 

One  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  lives  are  sacrificed 
every  year  in  our  nation  alone.  Nor  is  this  a  merely 
temporal  sacrifice  of  the  nation's  kings,  born  to  rule  in 
the  earth  and  over  the  higher  realm  of  their  own 
great  natures;  but  an  eternal  sacrifice  of  the  im- 
mortal sons  of  God,  for  "no  drunkard  shall  enter  th^ 
Kingdom  of  Heaven." 


424  MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE. 

For  this  criminality  there  is  not  the  shadow  of  an 
excuse.  The  almost  universal  demand  for  stimuli  is 
abnormal  and  not  essential. 

It  is  the  result  of  the  stimulants  themselves.  The 
drinking  always  precedes  the  crying  demand  for 
drink,  either  remotely  or  immediately.  -  Supply  this 
abnormal  demand,  as  has  been  the  rule,  and  it  in- 
creases ad  infinitum.  The  whisky  market  was  never 
glutted.  But  in  the  interests  of  the  whole  human 
race,  remove,  abolish  the  drink  system  and  the  de- 
mand is  gone. 

By  a  wonderful  dispensation  from  the  Divine 
Ruler,  attended  by  unmistakable  signs  of  power  and 
approval,  the  women  of  this  nation  have  been  set 
apart  as  the  apostles  of  the  Temperance  Gospel.  The 
ponderous  truth  of  this  gospel  is — The  liquor  traffic  is 
depressive,  ruinous,  criminal,  and  ought  to  engage  the  best 
energies  of  the  people  for  its  abolition. 

Women,  whose  keen  perception  takes  in  all  the 
terrors  of  the  curse ;  women,  whose  earnest  sympa- 
thies, intensified  by  a  love  both  human  and  divine, 
penetrate  to  the  depth  of  human  wretchedness; 
women,  whose  hope  through  faith  in  the  Master 
Leader  spans  the  chasm  of  human  impossibilities ; 
women,  who  respect  neither  "times,"  "seasons," 
" policies, ""  expediencies,"  nor  "financial  practica- 
bilities," but  only  justice  and  right,  because  it  is 
right ;  women,  love-inspired,  God  empowered,  may 
throw  themselves  into  the  breach  between  humanity 
and  its  curse,  may  stand  in  the  vanguard  of  this  great 
movement  until  the  whole  ruling  public  is  borne 
across  the  abyss mal  transition  from  the  superstitious 
notion  that  "alcohol  is  food"  to  the  scientific  fact 
that  "  alcohol  is  poison;"  from  the  pusillanimous  con- 
cession that  "intemperance  is  a  great  evil,"  to  the 
responsible  conviction  that  the  liquor  traffic  is  a 
crime. 

Filled  only  with  aspirations  for  the  ennoblement  of 
our  falling  humanity,  to  its  native  kingship  and  the 
heritage  of  princes  of  peace,  prosperity  and  purity- 
women,  sisters,  mothers  of  all  lands,  let  us  arise  and 
go  forward,  doing  whatsoever  the  hand  findeth, 
claiming  the  omnipotent  promise,  "  Lo  I  am  with  you 
alway,  even  unto  the  end." 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  425 

We  hereinafter  submit  a  plan  of  work  which  will 
afford  methods  for  every  locality. 

Respectfully  submitted  in  the  bonds  of  Christian 
love. 

Mother  Stewart,  Springfield,  Ohio,  Chairman  of 
Committee. 

Mrs.  Governor  Wallace,  President  State  Womens* 
Christian  Temperance  Union,  Indianapolis,  Ind. 

Mrs.  Allen  Butler,  President  State  W.  C.  T.  U., 
Syracuse,  New  York. 

Mrs.  Rev.  Collins,  Ex-President  W.  C.  T.  U., 
Pittsburg,  Pa. 

Mrs.  Dr.  Black,  President  W.  C.  T.  U.,  Pitts- 
burg,  Pa. 

Miss  Frances  E.  Willard,  President  W.  C.  T.  U., 
Chicago,  Illinois,  Secretary  of  Committee. 

Mrs.  H.  N.  K.  Goff,  Corresponding  Secretary  W. 
C.  T.  U.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

Mrs.  M.  McClellan  Brown,  Secretary  Committee, 
and  Right  Worthy  Vice  Templar  International  Order 
of  Good  Templars. 

PLAN  OF  WORK. 

/. — Of  Organization. 

Organization  is  the  sun  glass  which  brings  to  a 
focus  scattering  influence  and  temperance  union  in 
any  State,  city,  town  or  village. 

II. — Of  Making  Public  Sentiment. 

The  evolution  of  temperance  ideas  is  in  this  order  : 
The  people  are  informed,  convinced,  convicted, 
pledged.  With  these  facts  in  view,  we  urge  : 

i  st.    Frequent  temperance  mass-meetings. 

2nd.  The  careful  circulation  of  temperance  liter- 
ature in  the  people's  homes  and  in  saloons. 

3rd.  Teaching  the  children  in  Sabbath-schools  and 
public  schools  the  ethics,  chemistry,  physiology,  and 
hygiene  of  total  abstinence. 

4th.  Offering  prizes  in  these  schools  for  essays  on 
different  aspects  of  the  subject. 

5th.  Placing  a  copy  of  the  engraving  known  as 
"The  Railroad  to  Ruin,"  and  similar  pictures,on  the 
walls  of  every  school-room.  0 

6th.   Organizing  temperance  glee  clubs  of  young 


426  MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE. 

people,  to  sing  temperance  doctrines  into  the  people's 
hearts  as  well  as  heads 

yth.  Seeking  permission  to  edit  a  column  in  the  in- 
terests of  temperance  in  every  newspaper  in  the  land, 
and  in  all  possible  ways  enlisting  the  press  in  this  re- 
form. 

8th.  Endeavoring  to  secure  from  pastors,  every- 
where, frequent  temperance  sermons  and  special 
services  in  connection  with  the  weekly  church  prayer- 
meeting  and  the  Sabbath-school,  at  stated  intervals, 
if  they  be  only  quarterly. 

9th.  Preserving  facts  connected  with  the  general 
subject  and  with  our  work,  in  temperance  scrap- 
books,  to  be  placed  in  the  hands  of  special  officers  ap- 
pointed for  this  purpose. 

///. —  Of  Juvenile  Temperance  Societies. 

Catholicism's  wisest  words  are  these,  "  Give  us  the 
first  ten  years  of  the  children's  lives,  and  you  may 
have  the  rest." 

In  our  judgment  one  of  the  great  hopes  of  the 
ultimate  triumph  of  temperance  reform  lies  in  the 
thorough  training  of  the  youths  of  the  land  in  such 
principles  and  practices  of  temperance  as  will  show 
them  the  fatal  dangers  of  drinking  and  criminal  guilt 
of  selling  liquors,  and  to  that  end  we  earnestly 
entreat  the  friends  of  the  cause,  and  especially  the 
pastors  of  churches  and  superintendents  of  Sunday- 
schools  throughout  the  land,  to  take  immediate  meas- 
ures, in  their  respective  cities  and  towns,  for  the 
formation  and  perpetual  continuance  of  temperance 
societies  to  be  composed  of  the  children  and  youth. 

IV.— Of  the  Pledge.   * 

If  nobody  would  drink,  then  nobody  could  sell. 

ist.  Urge  the  circulation  of  the  total  abstinence 
pledge  as  fast  and  as  far  as  facilities  permit,  life  sig- 
natures being  sought,  but  names  being  taken  for  any 
length  of  time,  however  brief. 

2nd.  Have  a  special  pledge  for  women,  involving 
the  instruction  and  pledging  of  themselves,  their 
children,  and  so  far  as  possible,  their  households ; 
banishing  alcohol  in  all  its  forms  from  the  side-board 


MEMORIES  OF  THE   CRUSADE.  427 

and  the  kitchen,  enjoining  quiet,  persistent  work  for 
temperance  in  their  own  social  circles. 

3rd.  Earnestly  recommend  ladies  to  get  permission 
to  place  a  pledge  book  in  every  Church  and  Sabbath- 
school  room,  where  it  shall  be  kept  perpetually  open 
in  a  convenient  place,  indicated  by  a  motto  placed 
above  it.  Also  that  each  member  of  our  union  keep 
an  autograph  pledge  book  on  her  parlor  table,  and 
carry  one  in  her  pocket. 

V.— Of  Sacramental  Wine. 

We  do  not  see  that  the  passage  tl  Woe  unto  him 
that  putteth  che  bottle  to  his  neighbor's  lips,"  has  in 
it  any  "  saving  clause"  for  the  communion  table.  We 
know  that  many,  who  have  thought  their  appetite  en- 
tirely overcome  by  months  of  abstinence,  have  fallen 
by  the  odor  and  taste  of  the  cup  at  the  Lord's  table. 

We  strongly  recommend  our  unions  everywhere 
to  appoint  a  committee  of  ladies  in  each  church,  who 
shall  seek  to  enlist  the  pastor  and  church  officials  in 
offering  only  unfcrmcntcd  wine  at  the  communion 
table. 

VI.— Of  the  Anti  treat  League. 

"Come,  let's  take  something  together,"  has  been 
to  thousands  the  key-note  of  destruction.  Labor  for 
the  organization  of  a  league  which  shall  enroll  as 
members  those  who,  though  not  yet  ready  to  sign 
the  pledge,  are  willing  to  refrain  from  "putting 
the  bottle  to  their  neighbor's  lips,"  by  pledging 
their  honor  that  they  will  neither  be  "treated"  nor 
"treat" 

VII.  —  Temperance  Coffee  Rooms. 

If  we  would  have  men  forsake  saloons,  we  must 
invite  them  to  a  better  place,  where  they  can  find 
shelter  and  food  and  company. 

Let  there  be  open  small,  neat  coffee  rooms,  with 
reading  rooms  attached,  which  the  ladies  might  sup- 
ply with  books  and  papers  from  their  own  homes, 
and  by  solicited  funds. 

When  practicable,  there  should  also  be  Friendly 
Inns,  connected  with  which  might  be  provided,  for 
those  willing  to  compensate  by  their  labor  for  their 


428  MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

food  and  lodging,  a  manufacturing  shop,  comprising 
various  trades. 

VII. — Homes  for  Inebriate  Women 

Should  be  established  in  all  the  cities,  our  unions 
soliciting  aid  from  the  State  and  municipal  govern- 
ments and  from  the  general  public  for  this  purpose. 

IX— The  Reformed  Men's  Clubs, 

Recently  projected  in  New  England,  will  be  power- 
ful auxiliaries  in  our  work,  and  we  urge  the  Women's 
Unions  to  help  establish  them  in  every  community. 

X. — Bureau  of  Information. 

Already,  by  means  of  correspondence,  our  chain  of 
unions  has  been  a  medium  of  communication  be- 
tween parents  and  their  absent  sons,  by  means  of 
which  the  former  in  their  homes  lent  a  helping  hand 
to  the  latter  amid  their  temptations. 

We  suggest  careful  attention  to  this  important 
branch  of  our  beneficent  task. 

XI. — Counter  Attractions  of  Home. 

Much  has  been  said  about  our  negligence  in  ren- 
dering our  homes  attractive,  and  our  cuisine  appetiz- 
ing; and  not  always  without  reason.  We  therefore 
recommend  that  in  our  unions,  essays  on  the  science 
and  art  of  making  home  outwardly  wholesome  and  at- 
tractive, be  read;  books  on  that  subject  circulated, 
and  all  possible  effort  made  to  secure  a  more  scien- 
tific attention  to  the  products  of  the  kitchen,  and  a 
higher  aesthetic  standard  for  the  parlor. 

XII. — Home  Missionary  Work. 

We  recommend  the  continuance  of  private  visita- 
tion to  those  who  drink  and  to  those  who  sell,  being 
careful  to  go  in  a  spirit  of  prayerful  and  helpful 
kindness. 

XIII.  -  -  Gospel  Temperance  Meetings. 

We  recommend  our  Unions  to  hold  such  meetings 
in  the  streets,  billiard  halls  and  churches,  protracting 
if  the  interest  shall  warrant  it,  offering  the  Gospel 
Cure  for  intemperance,  going  through  the  audience 
to  get  persons  to  come  forward  and  sign  it,  to  the 


MEMORIES   OF   THE    CRUSADE.  429 

tune  of  "Jesus  lover  of  my  soul,"  investing  the  act 
with  all  the  solemnity  and  enthusiasm  of  a  religious 


service. 


XIV.  — Fountains. 


We  urge  our  unions  everywhere  to  signalize  the 
coming  hundredth  birthday  of  America,  by  erecting 
in  village  and  town  and  city,  fountains  of  water  in- 
scribed with  such  mottoes  as  shall  show  what  sort  of 
drink  the  women  of  America  believe  in,  and  as  shall 
be  a  sermon  in  their  persuasiveness  to  our  fathers, 
brothers  and  sons. 

XV,— Of  Money. 

Our  cause  cannot  forego  the  sinews  of  all  war,  be  it 
peaceful  or  profane.  We  must  have  money.  Our 
financial  plan  asks  each  member  to  give  a  cent  a 
week  toward  the  temperance  cause,  and  we  urge  this 
feature  as  one  of  great  importance. 

Let  us  say  that  all  needed  information  under  any 
or  all  of  the  preceding  heads  will  be  gladly  furnished 
on  application,  with  stamp,  to  our  Corresponding 
Secretary,  Miss  Frances  E.  Willard,  Chicago,  111. 

XVL— Try  sting  Time    With  God. 

Our  work  came  forth  to  us  from  God.  The  mir- 
acle of  the  Crusade  was  wrought  by  prayer.  Let  us, 
women  of  America,  and  of  all  lands,  dedicate  the 
evening  twilight  hour  to  prayerful  thoughts  about 
this  greatest  of  reforms. 

Wherever  we  are,  let  us  lift  up  our  hearts,  whether 
alone  or  in  company,  in  the  closet  or  on  the  street, 
and  ask  God's  blessing  on  the  temperance  work  and 
on  those  whom  it  would  help.  Let  us  form  the  habit 
of  keeping  sacredly  at  heart  some  moments  of  this 
hour,  as  our  trysting  time  with  God. 


CONCLUSION. 


Dear  sisters,  we  have  laid  before  you  the  plan  of 
the  long  campaign.  Will  you  work  with  us  ?  We 
wage  our  peaceful  war  in  loving  expectation  of  that 
day  "  when  all  men's  wt-.-tl  shall  be  each  man's  care," 
when  u  nothing  shall  hurt  or  destroy  in  all  my  holy 


430  MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE. 

mountain,  saith  the  Lord,"  and  in  our  day  we  may 
live  to  see  America,  beloved  mother  of  thrice  grate- 
ful daughters,  set  at  liberty  full  and  complete  forever, 
from  our  deadliest  foe. 

This  report  of  our  Committee  must  be  con- 
sidered, for  that  stage  of  our  work,  as  a  very 
good  and  suggestive  production.  It  will  serve, 
too,  to  indicate  the  phenomenal  growth  of  this 
greatest  branch  of  the  world's  work  carried  for- 
ward by  women,  by  comparing  it  with  the  last 
annual  address  of  one  of  this  same  committee, 
now  and  for  the  last  eight  years  President  of  the 
National  Union.  This  address,  almost  a  poem 
in  faultlessness  and  beauty,  as  well  as  so  full  of 
report  of  past  and  suggestions  for  future  work 
as  to  nearly  take  one's  breath  away — not  to  men- 
tion the  forty  reports  of  as  many  superintendents 
of  departments  in  this  great  field  of  portioned 
out  labor — conveys  a  good  idea  of  the  work 
done  by  the  W.  C.  T.  U.  in  the  past  year  of 
1887.  Yet  I  must  maintain  that  this  comely, 
young  giantess,  only  now  fairly  entering  into 
her  teens,  made,  as  the  human  infant,  her  most 
rapid  growth  and  development  in  the  first  year 
of  her  existence.  We  are  to  consider  the  pecu- 
liar call  and  nature  of  the  work  with  the  fact 
that  few  women  had  ever  had  any  previous 
training  or  knowledge  of  benevolent  enterprise. 

There  was  a  good  deal  of  disappointment 
among  many  of  our  women,  as  well  as  others, 
and  a  disposition  to  "give  it  all  up,"  because  it 
had  not  turned  out  as  they  expected.  They  had 
entered  into  the  work  with  the  confident  expec- 


MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE.          431 

ition  that  through  prayer  alone  the  liquor  busi- 
ness would  be  destroyed,  and  not  a  few  ' '  went 
back  and  walked  no  more  with  us. "  And  the 
repeated  questions  that  came  to  us  from  such  as 
were  not  able  to  see  the  effect  in  the  awakening 
of  the  people,  nor  to  take  in  the  broad  meaning 
of  the  great  uprising,  were,  "  What  has  been 
the  result?"  "Has  it  done  any  good?"  and 
when  they  saw  the  saloons  opening  up  again,  it 
was  not  surprising  that  such  should  ask,  ' '  After 
all,  has  it  not  been  a  failure?"  To  these,  the 
Rev.  H.  H.  Wells,  Secretary  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A. 
of  our  State,  having  had  opportunity  for  obser- 
vation,gave  the  following  ansv/ers  :  "  These,"  as 
he  adds,  "being  only  a  few  of  the  more  impor- 
tant things  gained  by  the  wonderful  Crusade. 
Eternity  alone  can  unfold  the  entire  fruit  of  the 
work." 

BENEFITS    OF    THE    CRUSADE. 

1.  It  called  attention  to  the  evils  of  intemperance. 

2.  It  aroused  public  sentiment  against  it. 

3.  It  made  saloons  odious  in  the  eyes  of  young 
men. 

4.  It  has  resulted  in  organized  effort  against  the 
evil. 

5.  It  has  produced  a  large  amount  of  temperance 
literature. 

6.  It    developed    thousands    of    workers  among 
women. 

7.  It  was  a  great  spiritual  blessing  to  those  engaged 
in  it. 

8.  It  has  drawn  Christian  churches  nearer  to  each 
other. 

9.  It  has  enlisted  the  church  in  the  war  against 
rum. 


432  MEMORIES  OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

10.  It  has  led  ministers  to  preach  on  the  subject 
faithfully. 

11.  It  has  closed  large  numbers  of  saloons  in  the 
country. 

12.  It  has  reformed  vast  numbers  of  drunkards. 

13.  It   has  resulted  in  the  opening  of  rooms  for 
young  men. 

14.  It  has  awakened  political  action. 

15.  It  defeated  license  in  Ohio,  August  18,  1874. 

I  have  at  hand  a  full  report  by  our  efficient 
Secretary,  Mrs.  Guy,  by  which  I  am  aided  in 
giving  the  following  brief  summary  of  the  first 
six  months'  labor  in  Springfield  : 

The  special  duty  of  the  Executive  Board  from 
its  organization  had  been  to  appoint  and  take 
charge  of  all  mass-meetings,  arranging  programs, 
engaging  speakers,  raising  funds  for  current  ex- 
penses, publishing  and  circulating  literature,  con- 
ducting children's  meetings  and  appointing  com- 
mittees for  special  work. 

This  left  the  bands  free  to  prosecute  their  sa- 
loon visiting.  Pledges  were  circulated  from  the 
beginning,  and  hundreds,  yes  thousands,  signed 
them ;  and  many  a  saved  man  will  forever  bless 
the  day  the  Crusaders  found  and  persuaded  him 
to  begin  a  new  life. 

Upon  request  of  the  Board,  one  of  our  pas- 
tors, Dr.  McKnight,  of  the  First  Presbyterian 
Church,  wrote  a  very  valuable  tract  on  the  liquor 
problem  in  Springfield.  5,000  of  these,  3,000 
in  English  and  2,000  in  German,  were  put  in  the 
hands  of  voters.  Home  talent,  almost  entirely, 
was  utilized,  a  good  proportion  being  ladies,  in 
conducting  and  addressing  our  mass-meetings. 


MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE.  433 

ie  Secretary  reports  thirty  mass  meetings,  at 
which  seventy- five  different  speakers  made  ad- 
dresses. One  day  was  devoted  to  the  County 
meeting,  two  to  the  State  Convention.  Four 
all-day  prayer-meetings  were  held.  Regular 
prayer-meetings  were  held  once  per  week  for 
twenty  weeks,  twenty-two  Sunday  afternoon 
meetings,  and  six  children's  meetings  were  held. 
These,  besides  the  prayer  season  by  the  Crusad- 
ers every  morning  and  afternoon  before  moving 
out.  Many  meetings  were  also  held  in  the  vil- 
lages and  school-houses  through  the  county.  It 
was  in  going  to  one  of  these  that  our  Secretary 
came  near  losing  her  life  by  the  horse  running 
away.  She  was  so  seriously  hurt  as  to  be  dis- 
abled for  two  years,  and,  indeed,  never  entirely 
recovered  from  her  injuries  ;  and  so  became  our 
first  martyr  for  the  Crusade.  The  Committee  also 
had  printed  1,000  copies  of  hymns  and  Psalms 
and  Scripture  texts  for  the  use  of  the  bands  in 
their  street  work,  with  500  hymns  for  use  in  the 
mass-meetings.  Besides  all  this,  the  bands, 
assisted  by  gentlemen,  kept  up  meetings  nightly 
for  a  number  of  weeks  at  headquarters,  to  engage 
the  young  men  in  the  shops  and  draw  them  from 
the  saloons  that  were  using  every  device  to  draw 
them  back  into  their  meshes.  The  saloon-keepers 
of  our  city  being  mostly  foreigners,  not  many 
were  induced  to  give  up  their  business,  though 
their  trade  was  almost  ruined.  The  city  officials 
were  stimulated  and  encouraged  for  quite  a  season 
to  see  that  the  laws  were  more  rigidly  enforced ; 


434  MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE, 

and  a  larger  number  of  offenders  than  ever  before 

were  brought  to  justice. 

The  time — six  months — having  expired  for 
which  the  first  officers  were  elected,  a  meeting 
was  held  July  15,  1874,  for  the  election  of  new 
officers.  Mrs.  Jas.  Kinney  was  elected  Presi- 
dent;  Mrs.  Wm.  Grant,  Mrs.  II.  II.  Morrell 
and  Mrs.  E.  C.  Middleton,  Vice  Presidents; 
Mrs.  R.  L.  King,  Secretary ;  and  Mrs.  I.  Cob- 
lentz,  Treasurer. 

Of  the  officers  for  the  following  years,  I  recall 
Mrs.  Kinney  as  being  re-elected  for  a  number  of 
years,  and  serving  with  great  acceptability,  suc- 
ceeded by  Mrs.  J.  B.  Wirtz,  Mrs.  Jas.  Anderson, 
Mrs.  J.  A.  Dinwiddie  and  Mrs.  Wm.  Burns, 
each  in  her  turn,  by  untiring  energy  and  zeal, 
manifesting  her  devotion  to  the  cause.  Secre- 
taries :  Mrs.  J.  R,  Squires,  Mrs.  L.  Hamma, 
Miss  E.  W.  Bushnell,  Miss  Sallic  Cavilecr,  the 
last  named  serving  with  faithfulness  and  efficiency 
for  a  number  of  years.  Miss  M.  Hamilton  is 
serving  at  the  present  time. 

These,  with  the  co-operation  and  prayers  of  a 
large  number  of  women,  called  into  the  work  in 
the  beginning,  and  with  the  addilion  of  recruits 
from  time  to  time,  have  kept  the  Crusade  fires — 
more  sacred  than  those  of  "Vesta" — aflcime, 
spite  of  all  discouragements  and  through  the 
long  years,  until  to-day  their  hearts,  with  those 
of  our  sisters  everywhere,  are  made  glad  by  the 
glimpse  of  the  day-star  of  hope  arising  over  the 
eastern  hill-tops,  which  will  ere  long  dispel  for- 
ever this  long  night  of  sorrow. 


MEMORlhS   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  435 

I  regret  that  I  am  not  no\v  able  to  give  all 
the  names  of  the  ladies  who  were  brought  out 
by  our  Committee  in  the  organization  of  our 
mass-meetings  ;  the  arrangement  being  that  on 
each  programme  there  should  be  one  or  more 
ladies.  Among  the  number,  besides  those  I 
have  already  had  occasion  to  mention,  I  do  recall 
the  names  of  Mrs.  Thos.  Bean,  Mrs.  Edw.  Book- 
waiter,  Mrs.  J.  Philips,  Miss  E.  Ogden,  Mrs.  R. 
P.  Thomas,  Mrs.  C.  II.  Button,  Miss  Lizzie 
Wright. 

The  treatment  of  the  subject,  in  its  various 
phases,  seemed  almost  to  have  been  worn  thread- 
bare by  the  male  orators  of  the  past,  but  women, 
from  the  woman's  point  of  view  and  the  woman's 
heart,  gave  it  a  freshness  and  an  interest  hither- 
to unknown.  The  talents  these  ladies  displayed 
and  the  enthusiasm  they  brought  into  the  work 
was  both  a  surprise  and  an  inspiration  to  their 
audiences,  and  it  was  very  soon  observed  that 
the  audiences  elected  in  favor  of  lady  speakers ; 
and  this  preference  was  noticeable  everywhere. 

In  other  towns  and  cities  where  the  work 
prevailed,  in  Ohio  and  neighboring  States,  the 
results  were  more  or  less  wonderful.  As  a  gen- 
eral footing  up  of  the  first  year,  I  quote  a  few 
paragraphs  from  Rev.  W.  C.  Steel's  "Women's 
Temperance  Movement;"  though  even  this  is 
a  very  meagre  showing  of  the  blessed  results. 
No  pen  or  tongue  has  ever  been  able  to  tell 
it  all. 

i.  There  is  a  great  reduction  of  moral  evil',  2,000 


436  MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE. 

liquor-saloons  closed,  and  a  half  a  hundred  (many 
more, indeed)  cities  and  towns  entirely  freed  from  the 
rum-traffic,  must  result  in  lessening  the  amount  of 
human  evil  to  an  extent  that  can  not  be  estimated. 
The  mayor  of  one  of  the  redeemed  cities  declares 
that  already  crime  has  been  lessened  there  fully  nine- 
tenths! 

2.  There  is  a  great  improvement  in  the  social  con- 
dition of    the  people.     Men  have  found  their   lost 
manhood;  families  heretofore  dependent  on   charity 
have  become  self-sustaining;  pauperism  has  decreased ; 
schools  are  filling   up.     In    one    town,    twenty  five 
children  of  former  drunkards  who  never  went  before, 
are  reported  as  regularly  attending  school. 

3.  The  religious  advancement  of  each  community 
in  the  region  of  the  Crusade  is  marked  and  glorious. 
'1  he  churches  are  filled;    in  Southern  Ohio,  it  is  said 
a  hundred  per  cent,  more  people  attend  church  than 
ever  before.     Those   who  filled    the  saloons  on  the 
Sabbath   are    now    in  the    churches.      Vast  numbers 
have  been  soundly  converted  to  God  ;  for  this  has  been 
a  thorough  work.      Hundreds  of  weak-willed  drunk- 
ards have   bowed  at    the  cross    and  become  strong 
in  God.     Very  many  liquor-sellers  have  bowed  at  the 
same  altar  with  their  former  victims,  and  are  enrolled 
as  members  of  Christ's   church.      Christian  unity  has 
been  promoted,  and  those  who   fought  together,  and 
were  companions  in  arms, rejoice  in  the  fellowshipof 
their  common  victory.    One  of  the  difficult  problems 
of  our    Christianity — how     to    unite    together    the 
churches  in  small  towns— has  been  solved    Increased 
spiritual  power  has  been  acquired ;  men,  and  especially 
Christian  women,  have   been  quickened  in  newness 
of  life. 

4.  A   sound  moral  sentiment  has  been  formed,  so 
that  stringent  temperance  laws  can  now  not  only  be 
passed,  but  will  be  sustained. 

5.  The  sale  of  intoxicating  liquors  has  been  materi- 
ally lessened.     The    report  of  the    Commissioner  of 
Internal  Revenue  shows  a   decrease  of  $360,000  in 
the  tax  on  liquors  in  the  States  of  Ohio  and  Indiana 
for  the  month  of  February. 

Brandt  &  Co.,  distillers,  of  Hamilton,  Ohio,  assert 
that  their  sales  have  fallen  off  $150  a  day.     The  de- 


MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE.  437 

crease  in  the  sale  of  beer  and  ale  in  Cincinnati  for 
the  month  of  February  amounted  to  $130,000, as  com- 
pared to  January.  W.L.Herr, a  large  wholesale  dealer 
in  liquors  in  Cincinnati,  says  his  business  is  nearly 
ruined.  These  are  stubborn  facts,  and  point  their 
own  moral. 

6  Rum-selling  and  rum  drinking  have  both  be- 
come disreputable,  and  are  under  social  ban.  *  * 

Taxation  has  been  lessened. — Clearest  demonstration 
has  been  given  of  the  fact  that  intemperance  fills  our 
jails,  alms-houses,  and  lunatic  asylums;  so  that 
sixty  cents  out  of  every  dollar  we  pay  in  taxation  is 
taken  from  our  pockets  by  the  liquor-traffic.  When 
the  saloons  are  closed,  expenses  for  the  weaklings 
and  criminals  of  society  are  immediately  reduced;  so 
that  already  news  greets  us  from  the  regions  of  the 
Crusade  that  the  jails  in  some  places  are  empty,  and 
the  heretofore  dissipated  drone  has  become  industri- 
ous. 

Let  political  economists  take  heed. 

Churches  have  been  purified,  not  by  church  trials,  but 
through  the  moral  force  of  a  sound  Christian  senti- 
ment on  the  temperance  question.  Everywhere 
this  evil  had  penetrated  into  the  churches.  A  prom- 
inent minister  in  Cincinnati  asserted  tnat  if  every 
brick  put  into  the  churches  in  Cincinnati  by  the 
liquor  interest  were  removed,  half  the  churches  would 
tumble  down.  This  may  sound  like  an  exaggeration, 
but  it  is  a  well-known  fact  that  in  some  shape  or 
form  the  liquor  traffic  has  intrenched  itself  behind 
our  church  altars.  Prominent  officers  in  the  churches, 
professed  Christians,  men  of  wealth,  rented  their  build- 
ings for  the  sale  of  wine,  ale  or  beer,  and  drank  it 
occasionally  ;  and  the  canker  was  in  the  very  heart 
of  the  church.  But  this  temperance  revival,  religious 
in  its  character,  has  made  thorough  work  in  the 
churches  where  it  has  prevailed.  Men  who  had  been 
compromising  with  sin  have  confessed  their  folly 
with  tearful  penitence,  and  to-day  hundreds  of 
churches  are  purer  and  stronger  than  they  ever  were 
before. 


CHAPTER    XXI. 

TALES     OF     THE     WAR. 

Quaker  Humor — Incidents  and  Anecdotes,  Amus- 
ing and  Pathetic 

sly  humor  and  quiet  shrewdness, 
commend  me  to  a  Friend  ;  an  J  especially 
a  Crusade  Friend.  In  taking  in  the 
points  of  a  situation,  and  in  turning  all  to 
advantage  for  the  cause  which  seemed  a  part  of 
their  lives,  they  could  not  be  excelled. 

Their  quaint,  tasteful  garb,  and  especially  that 
sober  bonnet,  with  the  always  clean,  white  rib- 
bons tied  under  the  chin,  the  clean,  clear  com- 
plexion and  placid  countenance,  that  must  be 
the  fruit  of  a  temperate  life  and  a  meek  spirit, 
wholly  disarm  the  unwary  sinner;  and  what 
wonder  that  they  have  everything  their  own  way, 
and  enjoy  it  too. 

I  have  often  wished  I  could  have  been  a 
Quaker,  but  the  insurmountable  barrier — if  all 
things  else  had  been  propitious — is,  that  dirt  has 
a  perverse  disposition  to  stick  to  me,  and  I  have 
an  unshaken  faith  that  Quakers  are  born  exempt 
from  this  calamity.  I  do  remember  me  that 
Van  Pelt's  beer  fell  indiscriminately  upon  Friend 
and  Methodist.  But  I  am  fain  to  believe,  after 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  439 

ie  evaporation  around  the  fire  in  the  meeting- 
house, the  stains  were  less  legible  on  Friend 
than  Methodist.  Certainly  no  one  has  ever 
discovered  any  lingering  stains  on  our  dainty 
Treasurer,  Anna  R.  Hussey. 

From  one  who  was  there,  I  have  this  account 
from  Clarkesville,  a  small  town  in  Clinton 
county,  and  in  near  vicinity  to  Wilmington. 
The  women  organized  for  Crusade  work  on 
January  nth.  Shortly  after  this,  word  came 
that  a  couple  of  lawyers  were  coming  down 
from  Wilmington  to  defend  an  old  woman  who 
had  been  brought  to  trial  for  illegal  selling. 

The  question  with  the  women  was,  what  was 
to  be  done  about  it.  Generally,  the  saloon- 
keepers and  their  customers  filled  the  court- 
room and  had  everything  in  their  own  interest. 
Friend  Hadley,  President  of  the  Crusaders, 
hastened  out  and  gathered  what  forces  she  could 
and  had  them  on  hand,  pretty  well  filling  the 
court-room  when  the  attorneys  arrived. 

The  lawyers  looked  aghast  when  they  found 
themselves  face  to  face  with  those  peaceful-look- 
ing Crusaders.  Just  before  adjournment,  a  slip 
of  paper  was  passed  up  to  the  mayor,  asking 
permission  for  the  women  to  be  heard  a  few 
minutes.  The  request  was  granted  and  Abigail 
Hadley  proceeded  to  address  the  court,  or  more 
strictly  the  attorneys.  One  slipped  out,  but 
not  beyond  the  range  of  her  voice,  which  she 
made  a  little  distinct  for  his  benefit.  She  spoke 
of  the  poverty  and  crime  they  were  making 


440  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

themselves  responsible  for,  and  the  orphans  they 
were  helping  to  make  in  defending  the  liquor- 
seller.  She  expressed  the  hope  that  as  they  lay 
on  their  pillows  at  night  their  pale,  pinched  faces 
might  haunt  their  sleepless  vigils.  The  ladies 
obtained  permission  of  the  mayor  to  sing  and 
pray  at  each  adjournment,  and  at  the  close  they 
proposed  to  escort  the  lawyers  to  the  train. 
'Squire  —  -  threw  up  both  hands  and  begged 
the  ladies  not  to  show  them  such  marked  atten- 
tion, promising  that  he  would  never  be  seen 
again  in  Clarkesville  on  such  business.  At  last 
reports  the  promise  had  not  been  broken. 

But  it  was  soon  announced  that  another  case 
was  to  be  tried  on  a  certain  day,  and  a  couple  of 
lawyers  were  coming  down  on  the  train  to  defend 
the  saloon-keeper.  The  Crusaders,  led  by  their 
Quaker  President,  marched  in  procession  to  the 
train,  met  the  gentlemen  when  they  arrived,  and 
escorted  them  up  (the  depot  is  nearly  a  half- mile 
from  town ),  singing  hymns  as  they  marched. 
One  lawyer  found  it  necessary  to  go  into  the 
hotel ;  the  ladies  quietly  followed.  He  came 
out  and  went  into  a  confectionery ;  the  ladies 
stood  by  the  door  and  sang  hymns  till  he  was 
ready  to  move  on.  The  energy  with  which  he 
masticated  the  Indian  weed,  as  they  went  march- 
ing along,  was  interesting  to  behold.  These 
experiences  with  the  Crusaders  of  Clarkesville 
have  left  an  indelible  impression  on  the  minds  of 
those  gallant  expounders  of  the  law. 

This  visiting  saloons  was   not  entirely  new 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  44! 

work  for  Friend  Hadley.  Some  eight  years 
before  she  had  felt  impressed  with  the  duty  of 
visiting  and  laboring  with  the  liquor-sellers,  and 
taking  her  Bible  and  other  religious  literature, 
would  go  in  and  read  to  them  and  those  who 
were  found  with  them.  She  thus  continued 
visiting  and  reading  in  one  place  till  the  man 
gave  up  selling,  removed  his  liquor  counter,  and 
supplied  himself  with  a  better  business,  the  tract 
reading  being  continued.  Others  were  visited 
with  more  or  less  good  results,  she  telling  them 
when  they  came  up  between  her  and  God  when 
she  went  to  pray,  she  felt  that  she  had  to  come 
to  them,  as  she  wanted  no  one  but  Jesus  in  that 
place. 

BOARDING    UP   A    SALOON. 

At  a  small  place  in  the  North-eastern  part  of 
the  State,  a  saloon-keeper  had  established  him- 
self on  ground  belonging  to  the  railroad,  to  be 
convenient  to  the  railroad  boys  ;  so  obliging — to 
himself.  The  Crusaders  visited  him,  talked  and 
plead  with  him  to  give  up  his  wicked  business. 
They  sang  their  sweetest  songs  and  prayed 
most  fervently,  but  to  no  purpose.  Mr.  Saloon- 
keeper was  too  greedy  of  gain  and  saw  too  good 
a  thing  in  that  special  locality  to  give  it  up.  To 
all  appearance  he  was  master  of  the  field. 

But  the  ladies  had  set  out  to  win ;  and  it  has 
generally  been  observed  that  when  they  set  out 
they  "get  there."  They  called  a  solemn 
council,  the  result  of  which  was  that  a  request 


442  MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

was  quietly  dispatched  to  the  President  of  the 
road,  asking  a  lease  of  that  special  spot  of 
ground,  and  the  grant  came  promptly.  A  load 
of  lumber  was  forthwith  dumped  on  the  premises 
and  before  Mr.  Saloon-keeper  was  able  to  take 
in  the  situation,  carpenters  were  erecting  a  board 
barricade,  ten  feet  high,  around  his  castle,  with 
no  visible  outlet.  This  so  changed  the  face  of 
things  that  the  gentleman  of  jugs  and  casks  was 
only  too  glad  to  capitulate  upon  terms  offered 
by  the  enemy. 

RETURN    OF   THE    PRODIGAL. 

This  case  I  had  from  my  friend,  W.  E.  Preston, 
Esq.,  of  Cleveland.  I  also  saw  the  subject 
myself,  a  short  time  after  his  reclamation,  and 
again  in  November,  during  the  session  of  the 
National  Convention  in  that  city.  The  poor 
man  had  now  come  down  to  the  border  of  the 
grave ;  his  long  years  of  dissipation  had  prema- 
turely aged  and  broken  a  once  magnificent 
physical  as  well  as  mental  manhood. 

One  day,  as  Mrs.  John  Coon  and  her  band 
were  out,  they  were  accosted  by  a  prematurely 
aged,  white-haired  man.  The  prayers,  songs 
and  pleadings  of  the  women  had  touched  his 
heart,  and  he  was  induced  to  sign  the  pledge. 
Then  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Preston  took  him  to  their 
own  home,  and  though  sunken  so  low,  and  so 
unseemly  in  dress  and  appearance,  they  gave 
him  a  nicely  furnished  room  and  clean,  comfort- 
able bed,  such  as  I  presume  he  had  been  a 


MEMORIES    OF   THE    CRUSADE.  443 

stranger  to  for  many  a  long-  day.  ' '  And  there, " 
said  the  penitent,  "I  found  Jesus,  and  there  I 
saw  my  mother."  We  may  say  this  was  the 
imagination  of  his  weary  brain,  but  he  was  firm 
in  the  belief,  and  it  seemed  to  be  a  great  source 
of  'comfort  to  him,  that  his  beloved  mother 
returned  from  the  evergreen  shore  to  welcome 
her  wandering  boy  back  to  the  paths  of  upright- 
ness. 

The  man  proved  to  be  Col.  William  H.  West- 
brook,  who  was  an  officer  in  the  Confederate 
army,  and  had  served  under  General  Beauregard. 
He  married  a  young  lady  of  respectable  connec- 
tion living  in  Richmond,  Virginia,  and  for  a  time 
they  lived  happily.  But  the  demon  drink 
became  his  master  and  drove  him  forth  a  wan- 
derer and  a  vagabond,  and  his  wife  and  little 
daughter  mourned  him  as  dead.  Though  they 
had  sought  him  long,  no  trace  could  be  found  till 
the  Crusaders  found  him  on  the  verge  of  the  preci- 
pice. He  had  also  lost  the  whereabouts  of  his 
family,  but  our  Good  Samaritan  set  about  the 
task  of  finding  and  communicating  the  good 
tidings  to  them.  In  due  time  the  wife  came, 
and  under  that  hospitable  roof  the  two  long- 
sundered  were,  with  fitting  ceremony,  reunited, 
and  the  golden  circlet  again  placed  on  the  bride's 
finger. 

I  have  before  me  a  letter  written  by  a  sister  of 
the  Colonel's  to  the  pray  ing  women,  overflowing 
with  expressions  of  gratitude  for  the  rescue  of 
her  brother,  and  giving  an  affecting  account  of 


444  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

the  meeting  of  the  returning  prodigal  with  the 
venerable  father  of  ninety-four  years,  who,  while 
the  tears  rained  from  his  almost  sightless  balls, 
clasped  him  to  his  heart,  exclaiming,  "The 
dead  is  alive  and  the  lost  is  found." 

A  TRAVELER  TELLS  THIS  I 

"  I  was  in  Springfield  during  the  Crusade  and 
ha'l  gone  into  a  saloon  and  called  for  a  glass  of 
beer,  and  was  just  about  to  raise  it  to  my  lips 
when  Mother  Stewart  led  her  band  of  praying 
women  into  the  place.  Seeing  me  with  the  glass 
in  my  hand,  she  said,  '  Young  man,  set  that 
glass  down/  and  I  set  it  down.  Turning  to  her 
sisters,  '  Let  us  pray  for  this  young  man/  said 
she,  and  they  knelt  there  on  the  floor  of  that 
saloon,  and  she  did  pray  for  me.  You  may 
laugh,  men,  but  I  have  not  tasted  or  wanted  a 
glass  of  beer  since." 

I  have  no  recollection  of  the  occurrence.  It 
may  have  been  Sister  Schaffer  or  some  of  the 
other  elder  sisters,  and  so  with  the  following,  I 
cannot  myself  recall  it,  but  many  incidents  of 
the  kind  have  been  crowded  out  of  my 
memory  by  the  swift  following  of  busy  work 
and  travel.  But  all  the  same,  blessed  be  the 
Lord,  who  did  own  our  efforts  in  the  salvation 
of  many  souls. 

"AFTER  MANY  DAYS." 

My  good  Brother  Minich  visited  New  York 
not  long  since,  coming  back  rejoicing  to  bring 


MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE.  445 

me  this  message  :  "  While  in  the  city,"  he  said, 
"  I  availed  myself  of  the  opportunity  I  had  long 
wished  for,  to  visit  Jerry  McAuley's  '  Helping 
Hand,'  and  with  others  tried  to  tell  what  won- 
derful things  the  Lord  had  done  for  me,  and 
mentioned  the  fact  that  I  came  from  Springfield, 
Ohio.  As  soon  as  I  had  sat  down  a  man  arose 
and  said,  *  I  have  reason  to  praise  God  for  a  visit 
to  Springfield,  Ohio,  the  home  of  Mother 
Stewart.  I  am  a  commercial  traveler, — have 
been  for  many  years,  and  have  traveled  over  a 
large  portion  of  the  country.  In  my  travels  I 
found  myself  in  Springfield  during  that  wonder- 
ful crusade  of  the  women  of  Ohio  against  the 
liquor  saloons.  I  was  one  morning  just  coming 
out  of  a  saloon  when  Mother  Stewart  led  her 
band  up  to  the  door.  She  halted  me  with  the 
startling  question :  "Young  man,  do  you  love 
Jesus?"  I  made  a  confused,  but  not  very 
reverent  answer  to  the  effect  that  I  did  not  care 
anything  about  her  Jesus,  and  passed  on.  But 
I  never  got  rid  of  that  question,  "Young  man, 
do  you  love  Jesus?"  I  went  on  for  years, 
traveling  to  and  fro,  but  that  question  stayed 
with  me  always,  and  at  last  became  so  importu- 
,  nate  for  an  answer  that  I  was  compelled  to  cry 
to  the  Lord  Jesus  for  help  and  deliverance,  and 
To-day  I  am  saved  through  the  blood  of  the 
Lamb.  God  bless  Mother  Stewart,  the  Cru- 
sader of  Springfield,  Ohio.' " 


446  MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE. 

AND   YET   ANOTHER. 

A  lady  of  St.  Paul,  Minnesota,  sought  me  out 
at  our  National  Convention  in  Minneapolis,  to 
tell  me  of  a  young  man  who  came  from  the  East 
and  did  a  grand  work  in  the  temperance  field. 
His  eloquence  always  reminded  her  of  George 
W.  Bain;  but  his  health  failed  and  he  went 
down.  On  his  death-bed  he  charged  her  with  a 
message  to  Mother  Stewart,  saying,  ' '  Tell  her 
she  found  me  in  the  gutter,  in  Sharon,  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  set  me  on  my  feet,  inspiring  me  to 
make  the  fight  for  my  lost  manhood.  To  her  I 
owe  my  rescue  from  the  drunkard's  grave. "  I  do 
not  remember,  but  the  blessed  Lord  knoweth 
and  to  Him  alone  be  all  the  glory. 

WHY    HE   LOVED   THE    CRUSADERS. 

Said  my  esteemed  friend,  Mr.    L of  Red 

Oak,  Iowa,  "I  want  to  tell  you,  Mother  Stewart, 
why  I  love  the  Crusaders.  Sometime  since,  I  was 
traveling  in  the  northern  part  of  the  State,  when 
night  overtook  me  in  the  country.  I  called  at  a 
neat  looking  farm  house  and  asked  of  the  lady 
permission  to  stop  over  night.  She  answered 
that  I  could  do  so  if  I  could  take  care  of  my 
team  myself;  her  husband  was  absent.  I  was,  of 
course,  able  to  accept  the  conditions,  and  after  a 
comfortable  meal  of  the  luxuries  of  farm  life,  I 
sat  down  by  the  glowing  fire  to  have  a  chat  with 
the  lady.  I  noticed  that  though  the  place  was 
evidently  new,  everything  betokened  neatness 


MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE.  447 

and  thrift.  In  the  course  of  conversation  the 
lady  told  me  they  were  from  Ohio.  It  was  not 
a  great  while  after  the  Crusade.  So  I  remarked, 
as  she  was  fro:n  Ohio,  I  supposed  she  knew  all 
about  the  Crusade,  which  seemed  t  ~>  have  proved 
a  failure,  had  it  not?  'Oh,  no,'  she  answered 
with  eagerness,  'don't  say  it  was  a  failure;  it 
was  a  blessed  success, — certainly  in  our  case. 
When  the  Crusade  came  to  our  place,  a  little 
town  in  the  northwestern  part  of  the  State,  it 
found  my  husband  keeping  a  saloon.  The  praying 
women  visited  him  and  sang  and  prayed  with  him 
and  besought  him  to  sign  the  dealer's  pledge. 
And  he  did  sign  it  and  poured  out  his  liquor.  It 
was  his  only  way  at  the  time  of  supporting  his 
family.  But  the  friends  rallied  around  him  and 
helped  him.  Then  one  kind  brother  told  him  he 
had  land  in  Iowa,  and  if  he  would  move  out 
here  he  would  let  him  have  a  farm  on  reasonable 
terms  and  easy  payments.  He  thankfully  accept- 
ed the  generous  offer,  and  we  moved  here, 
opened  up  this  farm,  built  this  house,  and  my 
husband  has  just  gone  to  the  county  seat  to-day 
to  make  his  last  payment.  No !  no  !  the  Crusade 
\\  as  a  glorious  success. ' ' 

CAUGHT    IN    A    FIX. 

In  one  town  the  Crusaders  made  a  call  upon 
an  old  German  saloonist,  taking  the  precaution 
quietly  to  send  a  squad  of  their  force  to  the  rear 
of  the  saloon.  The  old  man  caught  a  glimpse 
of  the  approaching  band  in  front,  and  hastily 


448  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

threw  up  a  back  window  and  leaped  out,  leaving 
the  field  to  his  son  and  the  Crusaders,  when  lo ! 
he  found  himself  in  the  midst  of  the  rear  guard. 
By  this  time  the  battalion  in  front  was  taking 
peaceable  possession  of  the  evacuated  fort,  when 
Hans  called  out  in  great  excitement,  * '  Taddy ! 
Taddy!  come  yur,  I  got  te  Crusaders!"  "I 
can't!"  the  old  man  cried  back,  "  I  got  te  Cru- 
saders, too !" 

ONE  THAT  GOES  TO  MAKE  UP  "  EVERY  SORT." 

This,  from  another  town,  reminds  me  of  the 
quaint  saying  of  my  venerable  old  uncle,  when 
referring  to  a  person  of  any  peculiar  or  singular 
trait  of  character,  "  If  there  was  not  that  sort 
there  would  not  be  every  sort."  The  Crusaders 
visited  one  saloon-keeper  who  was  very  abusive, 
and  with  much  excitement  and  noise  drove  them 
out.  In  the  band  thus  driven  out  was  a  lady 
seventy  years  old.  As  the  ladies  left,  a  gentle- 
man came  stepping  in  and  inquired  what  all  that 
fuss  was  about.  * ' Why, "  said  the  man  with  white 
apron  and  broken  English,  "dem  Crusaders,  dey 
comes  here  and  tamage  my  peesness.  To  you 
pelong  to  dem  Crusaders?"  "Oh,  no,"  the  gen- 
tleman answered,  "I  have  nothing  to  do  with 
them,  and  to  prove  to  you  that  I  have  not,  I  will 
take  a  glass  of  beer."  "Well,  den,  you  treats  de 
gompany,  den  I  knows  you  doan  pelong  to  dem 
Crusaders !"  And  he  disgraced  his  manhood  by 
buying  the  drinks  and  treating  the  rabble  that 
had  crowded  in.  That  venerable,  gray-haired 


MEMORIES   OF  THE  CRUSADE.  449 

woman  was  his  mother.  "Oh,  well,"  you  say, 
"  he  was  a  low, worthless  fellow."  You  are  very 
much  mistaken,  my  dear  friend,  he  was  a  good  (?) 
deacon  in  the  church. 

"  DID  THE  CRUSADE  BREAK  UP  ANY  FAMILIES?' 

Here  is  a  case  in  point.  In  one  place  a  woman, 
whose  husband  was  bitterly  opposed  to  the 
Crusade,  joined  the  band.  The  husband  forbade 
her  going  out,  but  she  told  him  she  must  "obey 
God  rather  than  man, "  and  went  on.  He  remon- 
strated, but  she  still  said  she  must  "  obey  God 
rather  than  man, "  and  marched  out  with  her 
sisters.  At  length,  he  told  her  that  if  she  did  not 
give  up  her  crusading  he  would  leave  her,  and  she 
said  she  must  "obey  God  rather  than  man,"  and 
fell  into  line.  Finally  he  decided  that  he  "would 
not  bear  it,  so  there  now,  and  he  would  leave,  so 
he  would."  And  he  packed  his  trunk  and  "lit 
out. "  In  the  course  of  a  week  he  returned  and 
told  his  wife  if  she  would  quit  her  crusading  he 
would  come  back.  She  said  she  must  "obey 
God  rather  than  man,"  and  went  crusading.  Oh, 
well,  he  came  home  anyhow. 

THIS   FROM    HILLSBORO   WAS   TOLD    BY    "ONE   WHO 
WAS  THERE." 

A  half-dozen  of  the  young  men  of  "our  set" 
had  been  out  of  town  and  were  not  posted  as  to 
the  situation.  Of  course  they  must  "drop  in 
and  have  something  before  separating."  He 
says,  "We  had  just  arranged  ourselves  in  the 

(29) 


45O  MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

familiar  semi-circle  before  the  bar  and  had  our 
drinks  ready  and  cigars  prepared  for  the  match, 
when  the  rustle  of  women's  wear  attracted  our 
attention,  and  looking  up,  we  saw  what  we 
thought  a  crowd  of  a  thousand  ladies  entering. 
One  saw  among  them  his  mother  and  sister, 
another  had  two  cousins,  and  yet  another  unfor- 
tunate found  himself  face  to  face  with  his  pro- 
spective mother-in-law.  Had  the  invisible  prince 
of  pantomime  touched  us  with  his  magic  wand, 
converting  all  to  statues,  the  tableau  could  not 
have  been  more  impressive.  For  one  full  minute 
we  stood  as  if  turned  to  stone ;  then  a  slight 
motion  was  evident,  and  lager  beer  and  brandy 
smash  descended  slowly  to  the  counter,  while 
cigars  dropped  unlighted  from  nerveless  fingers. 
Happily,  at  this  juncture  the  ladies  struck  up, 

'  Oh,  do  not  be  discouraged, 
For  Jesus  is  your  friend.' 

It  made  a  diversion,  and  the  party  escaped  to 
the  street,  "scared  out  of  a  year's  growth," 

CRUSADING   A    BEER-CASK. 

One  of  the  early  results  of  our  Crusade  was  to 
make  it  not  quite  so  desirable  for  the  beer  wagon 
to  stop  before  the  door  in  broad  daylight,  as  had 
been  the  custom.  So  the  discreet  citizen,  who 
was  in  the  habit  of  ordering  his  cask,  concluded 
that  an  earlier  hour  would  be  desirable.  Accord- 
ingly the  brewer's  wagon  might  be  heard  rum- 
bling along  by  break  of  day,  and  before  the 
ordinary  citizen  was  out.  Occasionally  an  extra- 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  45  I 

ordinary  one  would  be  astir,  and  sometimes 
make  a  note.  One  of  these  happened  to  see  the 
wagon  stop  at  his  neighbor's  and  quietly  transfer 
a  cask  of  the  foamy  beverage  to  the  cellar  and 
drive  on.  The  waggish,  early  citizen  was  at  once 
seized  with  the  Crusade  spirit,  and  going  into 
the  house,  hunted  up  an  apron  and  tied  it  on — as 
well  as  a  man  knows  how.  I  never  saw  a  man 
that  ever  could  tie  a  woman's  apron  on  right — 
never ;  he  will  get  it  hitched  up  one  side  or 
skewed  around  halt  way,  or  slopping  down  over 
his  feet.  But  our  friend  equipped  himself  in  his 
apron,  then  donned  his  wife's  sun-bonnet,  and 
taking  her  * 'Gospel  Songs,"  sallied  forth  and 
perched  himself  on  the  cellar  door  and  began  to 
sing  Crusade  songs  in  lusty  fashion.  He  was  a  very 
fine  singer  and  soon  a  commotion  was  raised  in 
that  neighborhood.  The  lady  was  seen  moving 
uneasily  about  and  casting  furtive  glances 
through  the  window  at  the  singer.  At  length 
some  one  from  the  street  called  to  him  to  know 
what  upon  earth  he  was  doing  there.  He  coolly 
replied  that  he  was  "  crusading  that  beer-cask 
down  cellar." 

ONE   ON    MOTHER    STEWART, 

Which  I  have  had  some  doubt  about  giving,  but 
have  finally  decided  to,  upon  the  principle  that 
the  "cheerful  giver"  should  cheerfully  take. 
But  I  must  beg  the  reader's  pardon  for  the  not 
very  elegant  though  forcible  form  of  expression. 
A  young  acquaintance  of  mine  was,  during 


452  MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE. 

our  Crusade,  engaged  in  delivering  ice  for  an  ice 
firm  in  the  city.  It  was  in  the  line  of  his  busi- 
ness to  deliver  to  a  saloon-keeper,  where  he  one 
day,  upon  taking  in  his  ice,  heard  a  man  who,  it 
seemed,  was  thinking  of  opening  a  saloon,  asking 
the  proprietor's  advice  on  the  subject,  "  Nine," 
said  the  advisor,  "es  ist  nogute,  dem  Schruaters 
is  shist  awful,  I  wouldn't  shtart  a  shaloon  now. 
While  dem  Schruaters  be  about  es  ist  no  gute. 
Und  dere  ist  dot  Mutther  Shtuart,  she  call  efery 
poty  her  pruther  und  her  schvvister,  und  I  aint 
her  pruther  und  I  aint  her  schwister.  But  she's 
a  hell  of  a  feller.  Nine  es  ist  no  gute,  I  would 
not  shtart  a  shaloon  now." 

SAITH  THE  WORD,    "THE  WICKED   SHALL  NOT  LIVE 
OUT  HALF  HIS  DAYS." 

Many  were  the  .indications  that  He  who  called 
the  women  to  such  a  strange  and  holy  warfare 
had  a  special  guardianship  and  jealous  care  over 
them.  And  to  human  observation  many  were 
the  instances  where  the  judgments  of  an  offended 
God  fell  upon  those  who  dared  to  molest  or 
make  them  afraid.  Very  great  were  the  indig- 
nities and  insults  heaped  upon  the  sisters  of  P 

by  the  liquor-sellers  and  their  loafing  customers. 
One  morning  a  set,  to  the  number  of  six  or  eight, 
went  through  the  sacrilegious  performance  of  pre- 
tending to  take  the  sacrament  in  the  presence  of 
the  Crusaders,  as  they  made  their  accustomed 
call  at  the  saloon.  They  used  beer  and  crackers 
for  the  sacred  emblems.  Some  of  these  men,  when 


MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE.  453 

not  under  the  saloon  influence,  assumed  to  be  in 
some  degree  citizens  worthy  of  respect.  A  few 

brief  years    after  the  Crusade  I  visited   P , 

when  this  incident  was  related  to  me,  and  also 
the  startling  fact  that  every  one  of  those  men 
had  been  already  summoned  to  their  last  account, 
and  most,  if  not  all,  had  gone  out  by  some  unnat- 
ural death. 

APPARENT  ANSWER  TO  PRAYER  IN  JUDGMENT. 

A  couple  of  years  after  the  Crusade,  I  was  at  Belle- 
fontaine.  Upon  leaving,  my  friend,  Mrs.  Shurr, 
accompanied  me  to  the  train,  and  as  we  were 
walking  on  the  platform  we  passed  a  rather 
elderly  woman  of  medium  height,  dressed  in  rusty 
black.  After  we  had  passed  her,  Sister  Shurr 
said,  "Mother  Stewart,  look  at  that  woman;  turn 
and  look  at  her."  I  did,  but  saw  only  a  very 
commonplace  looking  old  woman.  When  seated 
in  the  waiting  room  I  asked  why  she  desired  me 
to  look  at  that  woman.  "That  woman,"  said 
she,  "  was  struck  dumb  in  answer  to  prayer. 
She  and  her  husband  kept  a  very  bad  drinking 
place  here  near  the  depot."  (I  had  visited  it 
with  the  Crusaders).  "The  praying  bands  vis- 
ited and  prayed  with  them,"  continued  Sister 

S ,    ' '  and  the  man  would  have  surrendered, 

but  his  wife  would  not  let  him.  At  length  she 
went  away  somewhere  and  the  Crusaders  took 
advantage  of  her  absence  and  induced  the  man  to 
sign  the  dealer's  pledge  and  give  up  his  business. 
But  when  she  returned  she  was  furious.  She 


454  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

cursed  the  women,  and  swore  and  raved,  and 
compelled  her  husband  to  open  up  his  saloon 
again.  She  did  not  cease  to  curse  the  women, 
and  blaspheme,  till  they  finally  took  her  as  a 
subject  of  special  prayer  and  asked  the  Lord  to 
close  her  mouth  or  silence  her  in  some  way.  One 
morning  when  she  arose  she  found  herself  unable 
to  speak,  and  she  never  spoke  afterwards,  though 
she  kept  on  at  her  soul-destroying  business, 
making  signs  for  the  price  of  her  beverage  of 
eternal  woe."  She  died  a  year  or  two  after,  and, 
as  far  as  I  know,  she  never  recovered  her 
power  of  speech.  My  friend  remarked  in  closing, 
* '  That  is  only  one  of  many  such  instances  of 
answer  to  prayer." 

CONFESSION    OF   A   SHIPWRECKED   SOUL. 

One  of  my  co-laborers  one  day  called  on  a 
friend  and  there  met  the  lady's  son-in-law,  who, 
with  his  wife,  was  boarding  with  her  mother.  He 
told  my  friend  he  wanted  a  private  conversation 
with  her,  and  led  her  into  the  parlor.  When 
seated,  he  in  great  anguish  of  spirit  told  her  he 
felt  himself  on  the  verge  of  ruin  from  his  uncon- 
trollable appetite.  ' '  Oh, ' '  said  he,  ' '  do  pray  for 
me;  get  some  of  your  Crusade  sisters  to  help  you 
pray  for  me.  Oh,  you  do  not  know  how  I 
blessed  the  Crusaders,  though  I  seemed  unfeeling 
and  rough.  I  did  honor  them  and  I  hoped  they 
might  close  up  the  saloons.  I  have  tried  so  hard 
to  give  up  the  drink.  I  have  taken  my  money 
home  and  given  it  to  Lou  ( his  wife )  and  told 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  455 

her  to  hide  it,  lock  it  away  in  the  drawer  where 
I  could  not  get  it,  and  then  I  would  get  up  in  the 
night  when  she  was  asleep,  and  hunt  up  and  steal 
the  money  and  go  out  and  get  my  drinks.  Oh, 
don't  tell  Lou,  she  don't  know  how  bad  I  am,  I 
have  gone  into  the  cemetery  and  thrown  myself 
on  my  mother's  grave  and  cried  to  God,  if  there 
was  a  God,  to  deliver  me  from  the  curse,  but  all 
to  no  purpose.  Oh,  can  you  help  me?"  \Ve  did 
pray  for  the  poor  fellow,  and  when  the  Blue  Rib- 
bon movement  swept  over  the  country  he  signed 
the  pledge  with  so  many  others,  and  we  hoped 
he  was  saved,  and  for  a  time  he  seemed  to  have 
triumphed  over  his  enemy.  But  no,  the  saloons 
remained  and  the  temptations  were  ever  in  his 
way.  He  has  gone  to  the  grave  before  the  noon 
of  his  manhood,  with  the  great  army  that  no  man 
can  number,  and  who  regardeth  it? 

A  SUDDEN  CHANGE  OF  SENTIMENT. 

A  young  wife,  when  the  Crusade  started  in 
her  town,  declared  she  should  die  if  she  went 
out  on  the  street  with  the  praying  bands.  But 
all  too  soon  her  husband  was  brought  home  one 
evening  by  a  policeman.  Now  she  felt  that  she 
should  die  if  she  did  not  go.  She  went  out  and 
saw  face  to  face  the  man  who  had  sold  her 
husband  the  liquor.  She  appealed  and  pleaded 
apparently  in  vain.  She  fell  on  her  knees  in  prayer. 
An  unseen  listener  was  her  husband,  who  had 
come  again  to  appease  his  appetite.  He  rushed 
to  her  side  and  pledged  himself  never  to  drink 


456"  MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE. 

again;  and   to  the   joy   of  the    Crusaders   the 
saloon-keeper  promised  to  quit  the  business. 

AN   APRIL-FOOL    MEETING    IN    NEW   ORLEANS. 

A  waggish  newspaper  man  in  New  Orleans 
concluded  to  make  a  first  of  April  point  on  the 
Crusade.  He  announced  the  evening  before, 
that  on  the  next  morning  at  a  church  and  hour 
named,  Mother  Stewart,  the  Ohio  Crusader, 
would  appear  with  the  purpose  of  opening  the 
Crusade  in  New  Orleans.  At  the  appointed  hour 
a  large  assembly,  overflowing  with  curiosity,  had 
gathered,  but  Mother  Stewart  was  entirely  igno- 
rant of  the  fact — has  always  been  sorry,  however, 
that  she  could  not  have  been  there.  But  long 
since,  the  successors  of  the  Crusaders,  the  White 
Ribbon  army,  have  invaded  the  Crescent  City, 
and  gained  peaceable  possession.  On  the  first 
day  of  April,  eleven  years  afterwards,  I  had  the 
pleasure  of  sending  greetings  to  our  Committee, 
who  were  holding  such  conspicuous  and  honor- 
able place  in  the  great  Exposition  being  held 
there.  BOUND  TO  TAKE  THE  WORLD  ! 

THE  DAUGHTER  WON. 

In  Darbyville,  a  little  country  town  in  Pickaway 
county,  the  women  made  a  clean  sweep.  Upon 
visiting  one  place,  the  young  daughter  of  the 
keeper  joined  the  Crusaders,  and  going  to  her 
father  threw  her  arms  about  his  neck,  exclaim- 
ing, "  Oh,  father,  father!"  but  her  feelings  for  a 
time  checked  her  utterance.  The  man  became 


MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE.  457 

greatly  agitated,  say  ing, "  Why,  Sis,  what  is  it?" 
' '  Oh,  father,  sign  the  pledge  !  Oh,  father,  quit 
selling  the  liquor !"  she  succeeded  in  uttering, 
amid  her  sobs.  It  was  short  work  there,  and 
the  news  flew  to  the  church,  when  one  of  the 
young  men  sprang  to  the  bell-rope  and  shouted 
as  he  leaped  to  the  swing  and  clang  of  the  bell, 
"  Hallelujah  !  Hallelujah !  Hallelujah !  "  Another 
man  at  this  place  signed  the  pledge,  quit  the 
business  and  went  to  farming,  and  has  not  repent- 
ed it  since.  He  says,  "  Whereas  bad  luck  and 
misfortune  followed  him  all  the  time  he  sold 
liquor,  and  it  seemed  impossible  for  him  to  get 
on,  now  the  tide  is  turned  and  everything  he  puts 
his  hand  to  seems  to  prosper." 

OUR   CRUSADE    DOG 

Was  not  the  least  interesting  feature  of  our  work 
in  Springfield.  I  have  before  mentioned  the 
curious,  inexplainable  fact  that  in  several  places 
even  the  dogs,  whose  masters  were  saloon-keep- 
ers, invariably  manifested  an  interest — and  may 
I  say,  sympathy — for  the  Crusaders.  As  I  am  a 
friend  to  dogs  I  like  to  record  these  curious 
instances,  where  they  certainly  seemed  able  in 
some  way  to  discern  between  the  right  and  the 
wrong,  and  unmistakably  took  the  right  side. 
Tell  me  why.  Who  can  ? 

A  poor,  forlorn  specimen  was  this  of  the 
canine  family,  rather  large  and  of  the  regu- 
lation "yellow,"  not  prepossessing  in  the  least 
when  he  first  cast  in  his  lot  at  headquarters 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSACE. 

with  us  and  joined  the  band.  It  was  not 
long,  however,  till  his  new  associations  told 
on  his  general  appearance.  If  he  did  not 
acquire  more  self  respect,  he  certainly  acquired 
a  much  more  cheerful  countenance  and  at-home 
manner,  as  well  as  a  fuller  habit  and  more  glossy 
coat.  We  never  knew  whence  he  came  nor 
where  he  lodged.  It  was  my  supposition  that  he 
had  followed  his  master  from  the  country  into  the 
city  and  became  lost,  and  by  some  fortuitous 
accident  found  his  way  to  our  headquarters.  But 
each  morning  he  was  in  waiting  at  the  door  when 
the  ladies  arrived,  ready  to  move  out  with  the 
first  band.  He  would  fall  into  line  and  march  by 
the  side  of  the  leader  till  we  came  to  the  first 
saloon,  then  he  would  sit  down  and  patiently 
wait  till  the  exercises  closed,  when  he  would  take 
up  the  line  of  march  again  with  the  rest  of  the 
Crusaders.  He  manifested  a  decided  preference 
for  the  ladies ;  could  not  be  induced  to  make 
friends  with  men  at  all.  Sister  Patterson  told  me 
that  she  went  out  with  the  first  band  one  morning, 
Mrs.  Prof.  Stuckenberg  being  the  leader.  Upon 
reaching  the  first  saloon  they  proceeded  to  sing 
and  then  knelt  before  the  saloon,  Mrs.  Stucken- 
berg leading  in  prayer.  Being  near  her,  she 
happened  to  look  up  and  saw  the  dog  sitting 
near  Mrs.  S —  -  and  licking  her  cheek. 

For  quite  a  time  the  friends  held  nightly  meet- 
ings at  headquarters,  to  give  the  young  men  who 
had  signed  the  pledge  a  place  of  entertainment 
and  draw  them  from  the  saloons.  More  than  one 


MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE.       459 

lady  has  told  me  that  going  alone  from  these 
meetings  the  dog  would  join  himself  to  her  and 
walk  by  her  side  to  her  door,  then  go  his  way. 
We  had  a  children's  band  that  met  every  Satur- 
day morning.  The  last  time  I  saw  our  dog  was 
at  one  of  these  meetings.  He  had  established 
himself  in  front  of  the  "baby  row,  "  on  the  front 
seat,  as  of  right,  and  when  a  gentleman  attempted 
to  remove  him  he  told  him  in  very  emphatic 
language  that  he  did  not  propose  to  be  interfered 
with  in  the  discharge  of  his  responsible  duties. 
I  had  to  interfere  in  doggy's  behalf,  and  he 
quietly  lay  down  and  maintained  his  post  through 
the  meeting.  But  a  little  while  after  the  meet- 
ing, upon  going  to  headquarters,  some  of  the 
ladies  met  me  in  tears,  exclaiming,  "  Oh,  Mother 
Stewart,  some  one  has  killed  our  dog."  It  was 
even  so ;  the  poor  creature  had  been  disposed  of 
by  some  who  had  not  appreciated  his  demonstra- 
tions of  friendship  quite  as  highly  as  others  of  us 
had.  We  did  really  grieve  for  the  loss  of  our 
faithful  and  devoted  friend.  .It  was  certainly  a 
most  remarkable  manifestation  of  animal  instinct, 
bordering  very  nearly  onto  reason  and  affection, 
not  easily  to  be  accounted  for. 

SAVED   AT    LAST. 

Rev.  W.  I.  Fee,  D.  D.,  published  the  follow- 
ing strange  account  in  one  of  the  Cincinnati 
papers  at  the  time  of  its  occurrence.  "One 
day,"  says  he,  "a  lawyer  came  to  my  house. 
Rum  had  ruined  him.  He  was  not  intoxicated  at 


460  MEMORIES  OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

the  time,  however.  He  asked  a  private  interview. 
He  said,  '  You  see  what  I  am  now.  I  am  the  son 
of  pious  Methodist  parents,  who  now  reside  in  a 
distant  city.  Their  hearts  are  well-nigh  broken 
by  my  prodigality.  A  few  days  since,  I  aban- 
doned all  hope  of  reform  and  made  up  my  mind 
either  to  drink  myself  to  death  or  to  end  my  days 
in  a  more  summary  manner.  I  had  almost  lost 
all  desire  for  reformation,  when  I  learned  that  the 
bands  of  praying  women  were  on  the  streets  of 
this  city.  Curiosity  led  me  to  follow  them  and 
listen  to  their  prayers  and  songs.  Oh,  how  it 
revived  the  days  of  my  boyhood,  and  my  subse- 
quent prodigality.  I  was  filled  with  remorse.  I 
felt  that  I  was  hopelessly  lost.  And  now, '  con- 
tinued he,  *  I  will  relate  the  strangest  incident 
of  my  life  at  the  risk  of  being  called  a  fool. ' 
Pointing  to  his  left  ear,  '  Five  years  since, '  he 
went  on,  '  I  entirely  lost  my  hearing  in  that  ear, 
till  yesterday,  when  I  heard  the  temperance 
women  sing. 

1 ' l  Previous  to  this,  for  years  I  had  only  been 
familiar  with  the  vilest  songs.  But  since  yester- 
day, the  songs  sung  by  those  women  have  been 
sung  and  played  in  my  deaf  ear  as  if  played  upon 
an  instrument,  or  sung  by  a  human  voice.  No 
other  songs  obtrude,  only  religious  songs  are 
sung.  This  gave  me  hope. '  Looking  intently 
at  me,  he  said,  '  Will  you  believe  me  ?  I  hear 
them  now ;  there  it  is, — 

"Show  pity,  Lord,  O  Lord,  forgive.'' 

"  '  Now  it  changes, — 

"  Rock  of  ages  cleft  for  me." 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  46! 

'Sung  loud  enough  for  you  to  hear  it.   Listen, 
>w  it  sings, — 

"  Depth  of  mercy,  can  there  be 
Mercy  still  reserved  for  me?"         | 

'  Now   do  you  think  there  is  any  hope  for 
me?' 

' '  I  answered,  '  Yes,  but  it  will  not  avail  for 
you  to  depend  on  those  songs,  you  must  look  to 
Christ.'     Looking  sorrowfully  at   me  he  said, 
'  Don't  take  away  my  only  hope. ' 

"  '  He  left  me.  A  few  days  afterwards  I  was 
called  to  see  him  in  one  of  the  hospitals.  His  father 
was  with  him  and  a  dispatch  had  been  sent  to 
his  mother  to  come  to  the  city  and  see  him  die. 
Although  almost  delirious,  he  recognized  me  in 
a  moment,  and  began  to  talk  about  the  songs  of 
the  women  sounding  in  his  ear.  He  begged  me 
to  pray  for  him,  and  to  ask  the  praying  women 
to  pray  for  him  also.  A  number  of  days  elapsed 
before  I  could  again  visit  the  hospital.  I  went  to 
learn  the  particulars  of  his  death.  Imagine  my 
surprise  when  I  learned  that  he  was  rapidly  re- 
covering. I  hastened  to  his  room  and  a  smiling, 
happy  face  met  me.  He  said,  '  I  want  to  leave 
this  evening  for  my  home.'  Said  he,  '  I  am 
saved.  The  prayers  of  my  dear  mother  and  the 
praying  temperance  women  have  been  instru- 
mental in  leading  me  to  Christ.'  Said  he,  'You 
thought  that  my  strange  experience  was  the  re- 
sult of  mania-a-potu.  But  believe  me  when  I 
tell  you  that  these  songs  are  now  ringing  in  that 


462  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

ear.  I  hear  nothing  else.  This  moment  I 
hear,  — 

'  Jesus,  lover  of  my  soul, 
Let  me  to  thy  bosom  fly.'" 

A    GOOD     DEED     REQUITED    AND    AN     EVIL    ONE 
PUNISHED. 

The  Crusaders  of  M ,  during  their  work, 

found  it  necessary  to  prosecute  a  case,  and  went 
to  a  law  firm  to  secure  the  aid  of  one  of  the 
company.  They  decided  to  consult  the  senior 
partner,  he  being  not  only  quite  a  good  lawyer, 
but  a  man  of  temperate  habits,  while  the  junior 
partner  was  quite  intemperate,  and  was  not  con- 
sidered as  being  as  well  up  in  his  profession  as  the 
other.  The  attorney  heard  their  statements,  got 
all  the  information  from  them  in  regard  to  the 
case  he  could,  then  turned  about  and  betrayed 
them,  and  took  the  case  for  the  saloon-keeper 
against  them.  The  other  lawyer  came  forward 
and  offered  to  carry  their  case  through  for  them. 
He  sobered  up,  signed  the  pledge,  and  from  that 
day  started  up-grade  in  his  profession  and  in  the 
esteem  of  the  people.  And  it  was  not  long  till 
he  was  on  the  Judge's  bench,  by  the  will  and 
pleasure  of  his  constituents. 

The  senior  partner,  by  the  same  stages,  but 
in  inverted  scale  or  down-grade,  losing  his  prac- 
tice, losing  the  respect  of  the  community,  losing 
his  self-respect,  left  the  place.  The  last  I 
heard  of  him  he  was  in  one  of  the  frontier  min- 
ing towns  in  Colorado,  keeping  a  billiard  saloon. 


MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE.  463 

The  three  following  facts  were  not  Crusade 
stories  exactly,  but  given  me  during  my  work, 
and  I  give  them  here  because  of  the  important 
lessons  contained  in  them. 

THE    FATAL    DOMESTIC    WINE. 

This  from  Col.  B—  — ,  the  sad-hearted  father 
of  the  young  man,  a  devoted  Christian  and 
earnest  temperance  worker.  His  son  was  a 
more  than  ordinarily  bright,  wide-awake  young 
man,  but  wayward  and  disposed  to  seek  his 
comrades  in  the  haunts  of  dissipation.  An  inevita- 
ble consequence  was,  he  came  to  love  the 
drink,  and  was  hastening  to  ruin,  when  the  Good 
Templars  reached  out  the  rescuing  hand  and 
gathered  him  into  the  Lodge,  and  kept  brotherly 
watch  over  him.  Then  a  blessed  revival  of  re- 
ligion occurred  in  the  town,  and  young  B — 
was  found  at  the  mourner's  bench,  and  soon  pro- 
fessed faith  in  Jesus  and  united  with  the 
Church.  Everything  went  well  with  him  for 
some  six  months.  But  one  day  he  and  a  young 
friend  concluded  to  take  a  day  of  recreation 
in  fishing.  The  mother  of  his  friend  very  kindly 
seconded  their  project  and  put  up  a  bountiful 
lunch. 

Then  she  went  to  her  closet  and  brought  out 
a  bottle  of  nice,  domestic  wine — her  own  make 
(she  was  a  prominent  member  of  the  church), 
to  her  son,  "You  must  have  one  of  my 
bottles  of  wine,  lest  you  should  get  wet,  or  for 
some  reason  should  need  it."  "Yes,"  the  son 


464  MEMORIES  OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

answered,  "mother,  put  it  in."  And  so  they 
hastened  away  for  their  day  of  pleasure.  When 
the  dinner  hour  came,  the  young  friends  sat 
down  to  enjoy  the  good  things  they  found  in  the 
basket.  The  bottle  was  brought  forth  and 
uncorked,  the  tempting  wine  poured  out  and 

presented  to  B .      He  hesitated,  remembered 

that  it  had  well-nigh  proved  his  ruin  ;  remem- 
bered his  obligation  as  a  Good  Templar,  as  a 
member  of  the  church,  a  follower  of  Christ. 
But  here  the  temptation  came  in  such  innocent 
guise, — they  two  alone,  they  were  hungry  and 
tired,  the  wine  was  ruby  and  aromatic ;  and  it 
was  "domestic  wine.'''  "My  mother  made  it 
herself,"  argued  the  friend.  Oh  !  why  was  there 
no  ministering  angel  near  enough  to  dash  that 
fatal  cup  to  the  earth  as  he  reached  forth  his 
hand  and  carried  it  to  his  lips?  No  one  was 
thus  commissioned  to  interfere  while  the  poor, 
weak-willed  young  man  made  the  brief  battle 
with  his  enemy  and  was  vanquished.  Though 
who  shall  say  that  his  mother,  from  the  battle- 
ments of  her  home  in  glory,  did  not  look  down 
with  eyes  of  pity,  as  she  saw  her  poor  boy  thus 
hurled  from  his  rock  of  safety  into  the  abyss 
again  ?  The  old,  slumbering  appetite  was  aroused 
as  the  tiger  in  the  jungle,  and  must  now  be 
appeased.  Upon  returning  to  town  he  hastened 
to  his  old  haunts  and  became  insanely  intoxi- 
cated. The  barriers  were  swept  away  and  on  he 
went  from  place  to  place,  calling  for  drinks,  till 
at  one  saloon,  the  keeper  seeing  his  condition, 


MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE.  465 

and  probably  fearing  the  consequences  to  him- 
self if  he  sold  more  to  him  when  in  that  condition, 
refused  to  let  him  have  any  more,  and  put  him 
out.  He  went  away,  but  soon  returned  with  a 
gun  and  discharged  it  at  the  keeper.  It  was 
fortunate  for  them  both  that  his  hand  was  too 
unsteady  for  a  deadly  shot,  but  his  victim  was 
wounded  and  he  a  criminal.  He  fled  from  home 
and  remained  in  hiding  for  a  time,  then  return- 
ing in  the  night,  picked  up  his  little  effects  and 
became  a  homeless  wanderer,  but  told  his  father 
before  leaving  that  he  would  make  one  more 
fight  to  save  himself,  but,  said  he,  "the  memory 
of  that  act  (  of  furnishing  her  wine  )  shall  haunt 
that  woman  through  all  eternity."  He  went 
out  into  the  night  and  his  father  saw  his  face  no 
more. 

REMORSE. 

T.    Demorest,   at  that  time    Worthy    Chief 
Templar  of  Kentucky,  gave  me  the  following : 

"I  stood,"  said  he,  "by  the  bedside  of  a 
young  man  who  was  writhing  in  the  agonies  of 
that  horror  of  horrors,  delirium  tremens.  His 
mother  also  stood  by,  enduring  unutterable 
anguish  at  the  sight  of  her  son's  sufferings. 
\Vhcn  not  in  his  paroxysms  she  would  beg  him 
to  tell  her  where — how  he  acquired  the  appetite 
for  drink.  He  evaded  her  questions  for  quite  a 
time.  At  length,  as  she  still  pressed  the  ques- 
tion, he  answered:  "Mother,  if  you  must 
know,  I  learned  to  love  the  wine-cup  at  your  own 


466  MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

table. "  The  young  man  to-day  fills  a  drunkard's 
grave,  and  the  mother,  remorse  having  dethroned 
her  reason,  is  in  a  mad-house." 

LAMENTATIONS,   V.    ?. 

A  gentleman  told  me  this  of  a  young  friend  of 
his:  "  He  was  a  carpenter  by  trade,  and  an 
industrious  and  good  workman.  But  he  would 
have  periods  of  drinking,  and  when  these  came 
on  he  would  deliberately  lay  down  his  tools  as 
if  going  to  meet  an  engagement,  and  go  onto  a 
regular  '  break-down. '  I  have  asked  him  why 
he  did  so,  and  his  answer  was,  '  I  cannot  help 
it. '  '  Well,  but  you  can  help  it  before  you  begin. ' 
'  No/  was  his  answer,  'I  inherited  the  appetite, 
and  when  these  periods  come  I  would  drink  if  I 
died. '  On  one  occasion,  under  the  spell  of  the 

fearful  craving,  he  went  to  the  town  of  U , 

drank  to  intoxication,  and  went  and  lay  down 
on  the  railroad  track ;  but  he  probably  became 
somewhat  sobered  up  before  a  train  passed,  and 
for  the  time  the  terrible  catastrophe  was  averted. 
But  again  the  raging  thirst  seized  him,  he  went 

to  U ,  drank  as  before,  went  again  in  despair 

and  deliberately  laid  himself  down  on  the  track 
and  in  the  night  three  trains  passed  over  him." 

"  WOMEN  HAVE  ALL  THE  RIGHTS  THEY  WANT." 

This  bitter  cold  spell  recalls  another  such,  a 
few  winters  since,  in  the  midst  of  which  a  sad, 
weary  woman  rang  at  my  door  and  claimed  my 
hospitality. 


MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE.  467 

The  snow  and  the  cold  held  on  and  my  guest 
found  herself  for  a  time  storm-bound.  During 
her  stay  her  story  came  out.  She  was  from  Penn- 
sylvania, was,  or  had  been  the  mother  of  three 
children,  and  still  the  wife  of  a  drunkard.  Her 
husband  had,  by  his  continual  indulgence, 
made  her  life  for  years  one  long  agony.  He 
wasted  his  earnings  on  drink,  and  in  time 
incapacitated  himself  for  earning,  so  that  she  was 
obliged,  by  her  needle,  to  support  herself  and  her 
children.  But  what  was  worse  than  this,  even, 
was  his  furious  and  abusive  temper  when  under 
the  influence  of  liquor.  What  blood-curdling 
pictures  were  those  she  gave  of  the  drunkard's 
home.  Whole  nights  had  he  kept  her  and  her 
children  in  terror.  On  one  occasion  he  came 
home  insanely  drunk,  locked  the  door,  took  his 
axe,  sharpened  and  examined  the  edge,  telling 
the  children  he  was  going  to  chop  their  mother 
up  ;  and  she  and  they  knew  if  anything,  however 
trivial,  should  go  wrong,  he  would  carry  out  the 
threat.  He  laid  her  on  the  floor  and  would  go 
through  the  motions  as  if  he  was  going  to  strike, 
the  wretched  victims  of  this  horrid  pastime  not 
daring  to  resist  or  protest,  the  wife  keeping  a 
cheerful  smile,  saying,  "Why,  John,  I  know 
you  are  only  in  fun,"  while  she  could  hear  her 
heart  beat ;  and  this,  through  long,  weary  hours 
of  the  night,  with  no  deliverance  near,  till  the 
effect  of  the  liquor  at  length  overpowered  him 
and  he  sank  into  a  beastly  stupor.  Such  a 
system  of  terrorizing  threw  the  elder  daughter 


468  MEMORIES   OF  THE    CRUSADE. 

into  St.  Vitus'  dance,  and  it  was  not  long  till, 
just  as  she  was  merging  into  young  womanhood, 
so  sweet  and  beautiful  to  the  yearning  mother's 
heart,  death  claimed  her  as  another  added  to  the 
long  list  of  victims  to  the  curse.  Such  a  life 
became  unbearable,  and  she  found  herself 
obliged  to  seek  a  home  elsewhere. 

But  her  children  !  The  great  Keystone  State 
had  decreed  that  the  father  is  the  lawful  and 
rightful  custodian  of  the  children.  Should  she 
quietly  yield  her  children  to  the  hands  of  such  a 
father  ?  She  set  herself  to  devise  some  means 
of  rescue.  She  had  a  brother -in  Kansas  to 
whom  she  would  take  the  little  daughter,  but 
how  to  get  possession  of  her  was  a  serious 
problem.  She  bethought  her  of  a  relative  in 
this  State  to  whom  she  appealed  for  help,  and 
he  wrote  to  the  child  to  make  him  a  visit.  Then 
the  mother  followed  and  picked  up  her  child  on 
the  way,  and  from  town  to  town  she  made  her 
way,  she  lecturing  on  temperance  and  the  little 
girl  reciting  pieces  to  meet  their  expenses,  till 
at  last  she  reached  her  brother  and  placed  her 
stolen  property  in  his  hands.  Now  she  was 
working  her  way  back  to  try  to  steal  the  other 
piece  of  her  own  flesh  and  blood.  But  while 
she  bemoaned  the  poor  little  fellow's  lot,  saying 
she  knew  these  bitter  days  and  nights  he  was 
thinly  clad,  and  must  be  suffering  with  cold  and 
hunger,  as  the  tramping  father  led  him  from 
place  to  place,  she  also  realized  that  she  was 
now  a  criminal,  and  if  caught  would  be  punished 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  469 

as  such  a  crime  deserved.  I  never  heard  whether 
she  succeeded  in  her  second  criminal  attempt  to 
steal,  or  whether  she  was  caught  and  justly 
punished  in  accordance  with  the  righteous  and 
equitable  laws  of  the  great  State  of  Pennsylvania. 

"  HOME  is  WOMAN'S  SPHERE." 

Coming  home  from  my  work  one  day  during  the 
Crusade,  I  found  a  lady  with  a  little  girl  at  my 
house.  She  at  once  told  me  her  story,  so  com- 
mon, so  old,  as  to  have  ceased  to  excite  atten- 
tion. When  she  told  me  her  name  I  remembered 
her,  though  she  was  not  aware  that  I  knew  her. 
Her  family  was  one  of  the  oldest  and  most 
respectable  in  the  county.  It  seemed  so  few 
years  since  I  had  seen  her,  a  bright,  happy 
young  lady,  standing  before  a  large  audience 
delivering  her  graduating  address.  I  had  not 
seen  her  since.  Here  she  was,  scarcely  the 
shadow  of  her  bright,  young  self.  Nothing  in 
her  appearance  to  recall  the  proud-spirited,  gay 
young  girl,  but  instead,  a  broken;  emaciated 
woman,  broken  mentally  as  well  as  physically, 
old  before  she  had  reached  her  noontide. 

As  her  story  ran,  she  had  married  with  fair 
prospects  of  a  happy  future ;  no  indication  of 
the  terrible  habit  even  then  fastened  upon  her 
husband.  Her  father,  a  man  of  wealth,  gave 
her  a  nice  farm,  and  there  they  started  on  life's 
journey  together.  But  as  the  years  went  on  the 
old,  old  story  of  the  drunkard's  wife  became 
hers  ;  and,  as  she  thought,  in  exaggerated  degree. 


MEMORIES   OF  THE    CRUSADE. 

She  had,  finally,  through  his  abuse,  became 
afraid  for  her  life, — had  gathered  a  few  articles  of 
clothing,  and  taking  her  child  by  the  hand, 
through  the  assistance  of  a  friend  she  secretly 
stole  away,  reached  the  railroad  and  fled,  leaving 
the  husband — now  the  terror  of  her  life — in 
peaceable  possession  of  her  home.  But  whither 
should  she  turn  her  steps  ?  She  had  heard  of 
Mother  Stewart  as  the  friend  of  the  drunkard's 
wife,  and  she  had  come  to  her  in  hope  of  refuge 
and  safety.  She  would  do  anything,  would  go 
out  to  domestic  service  if  only  she  could  find 
shelter  for  herself  and  child.  Reason  was  so 
nearly  dethroned,  and  the  fear  that  the  husband 
would  come  and  rob  her  of  her  child — the  only 
possession  she  had — that  if  the  bell  rang,  or  she 
heard  a  step  on  the  veranda,  she  would  clutch 
the  child  and  hasten  to  a  place  of  hiding. 

It  may  satisfy  the  reader's  curiosity  as  to  what 
became  of  her,  to  say  that  after  all  this,  she  was 
induced  to  "try  him  once  more,"  but  soon 
found  herself  obliged  to  seek  a  legal  separation. 

'  WOMEN  DON'T  WANT  TO  VOTE." 

About  this  time  last  year  I  had  taken  my  seat 
in  the  car  for  home,  after  having  held  a  series  of 
meetings  in  a  town  in  the  eastern  part  of  the 
State,  when  a  little,  pale-faced,  sad-eyed  woman 
came  in  and  sat  down  by  me.  She  had  not 
been  at  my  meetings,  but  knew  me  all  the  same, 
and  proceeded  at  once  to  unburden  her  heart  to 
me.  Yes,  she  was  a  drunkard's  wife,  and  the 


MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

same  old  story, — how  many  hundred  times  have 
I  heard  it?  Will  it  never  end? — of  neglect, 
poverty,  abuse,  the  nightlong  vigils,  lest  her 
life — which  he  threatened  repeatedly,  arid  for 
which  purpose  he  kept  his  razor  under  his 
pillow — should  be  taken.  Hiding  all  in  her 
own  heart,  even  from  her  own  parents,  she  bore 
it  for  eight  terrible  years,  till  health  and  endur- 
ance failed,  then  she  took  her  two  little  children 
and  once  more  found  refuge  and  protection 
under  the  parental  roof. 

She  closed  this  recital  with  the  sentence: 
"Oh,  if  women  could  only  vote,  how  soon 
would  the  liquor  dens  be  closed  and  all  this 
suffering  ended." 

Oh,  friends  of  humanity,  how  long?  And 
how  many  more  shall  go  to  fill  up  the  long  list  ? 

NEED  OF  HIGHER  LICENSE. 

When  in  my  old  home,  McArthur,  in  my 
Crusade  work,  I  was  making  some  calls  with 
one  of  my  former  pupils,  and  as  we  came  near 
an  old,  dilapidated  building,  she  remarked: 
"There  is  one  in  here  you  will  like  to  see,"  and 
led  the  way  into  the  house. 

What  a  picture  of  squalor  and  want  was  that 
which  met  my  sight !  A  couple  of  children  in 
dirty  rags,  with  matted  hair  and  unwashed  face 
and  hands  ; — two  or  three  others  had  made  the 
effort  to  hide  by  crawling  under  the  bed.  On 
the  bed — if  that  spread  of  soiled  and  ragged 
bedding  might  claim  so  dignified  a  title — lay  a 


4/2  MEMORIES   OF   THE    CRUSADE. 

wan,  sad,  prematurely  aged  woman.  Could  it 

be  possible  ?  Yes,  it  was  Mary  C .  When 

I  knew  her,  among  the  brightest,  prettiest,  and 
most  tidy  of  her  associates ;  active  and  indus- 
trious. What !  what  had  wrought  this  unac- 
countable transformation  ? 

She  had  married  a  young  man,  apparently 
correct  in  his  habits,  with  a  good  trade  and 
application  to  business.  The  outlook  for  the 
future  was  full  of  bright  promise ;  but  the  occa- 
sional dram  was  indulged;  then,  in  time,  the 
frequent ;  then,  of  course,  neglect  of  business, 
reverses,  poverty,  confirmed  drunkenness,  and 
abuse  of  wife  and  family.  I  do  not  know  the 
stages  through  which  the  wife  and  mother  came 
to  the  pitiable  condition  in  which  I  found  her. 
She  had  been  high-spirited  and  ambitious,  but  it 
seemed  that  with  the  crushing  mortification  her 
spirits  and  health  had  given  way,  and  there  she 
lay,  a  bed-ridden  invalid.  The  pinching  poverty, 
the  neglected,  squalid  condition  of  her  children, 
nothing  had  power  to  arouse  her.  The  neigh- 
bors— after  a  sort — attended  to  the  needs  of  the 
family,  but  there  had  been  times  when  their 
wants  were  not  supplied  till  she  and  children 
were  nearly  famished,  and  so  broken  had  that 
wretched  mother  become  that  she  would  beg 
her  neighbors  to  keep  the  children  away  till  she 
could  appease  her  own  hunger. 

The  husband  ?  He  had  simply  left  his  family 
to  their  fate,  and  was  finding  a  lodging  and  food 
with  a  disreputable  woman.  I  was  shown  the 


MEMORIES    OF   THE    CRUSADE.  473 

deep  cut  in  the  door-cheek  where  a  hatchet, 
aimed  at  his  wife  in  one  of  his  drunken  rages, 
had  struck,  barely  missing  her  head.  Perhaps 
a  high  license  might  have  met  this  case. 

"MOTHER  STEWART,  LET  THE  SONG  GO  ON." 

I  was,  during  the  Blue  Ribbon  movement, 
working  in  one  of  the  Western  States.  Upon 
reaching  one  town  a  gentleman  and  lady  met  me, 
and,  as  they  drove  me  to  their  home,  they  told  me 
of  a  gentleman  in  which  they  felt  a  deep  interest. 
He  was  a  lawyer,  a  man  of  high  literary  attain- 
ments and  of  polished  manners,  and  had,  during 
the  war,  represented  the  government  at  an  im- 
portant post  abroad  as  consul. 

There,  in  the  social  life  with  which  he  was  sur- 
rounded, he  had  acquired  a  love  for  the  glass. 
This  had  been  a  great  source  of  sorrow  to  his 
many  friends.  He  was  a  gentleman  of  so  many 
superior  qualities,  they  could  not  bear  to  see  him 
fall  before  his  insidious  enemy.  The  Good 
Templars  had  thrown  their  arms  around  him  and 
set  him  on  his  feet,  and  he  had  recovered  his 
manhood,  his  self-respect  and  the  respect  of 
others.  But  now  he  had  fallen  again,  and  was 
continually  under  the  influence  of  liquor.  It  was 
such  a  great  grief  to  his  family,  especially  to  his 
eldest  daughter,  a  beautiful  and  accomplished 
young  lady,  whose  grief  over  the  fall  of  the  father 
she  idolized  was  undermining  her  health.  I 
said  I  wanted  to  see  that  gentleman.  "Very  well, " 
said  my  friend,  "I  will  try  to  arrange  it,  but  I  will 


474  MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

have  to  try  to  get  hold  of  him  very  early  in  the 
morning,  before  he  goes  out. "  In  the  morning  he 
hastened  down  into  the  city,  but  too  late,  his 
friend  had  gone.  However,  he  found  him  in  the 
afternoon  in  his  office,  sleeping  off  the  effects  of 

his  morning  drams.    Brother  P came  to  our 

afternoon  meeting  to  say  he  had  found  him,  and 
would  stay  by  him  till  he  awoke.  After  our 

meeting,  Sister  T and   I  went  to    the  office. 

Our  friend  had  just  awakened,  and  when  told  that 
Mother  Stewart  had  called,  he  met  me  at  the 
door  and  greeted  me  with  the  grace  and  suavity 
of  the  polished  gentleman.  That  he  was  making  a 
desperate  effort  to  hide  the  indications  of  his 
infirmity,  I  could  see.  We  had  a  long  and,  to 
me,  very  interesting  conversation.  I  presented 
the  pledge  and  asked  him  to  sign  it  in  the  name 
of  Jesus. '  'Oh, "  he  said, '  'I  do  not  believe  in  Jesus, 
I  believe  in  God."  For  a  time  I  felt  my  props, 
my  foundation  were  swept  from  beneath  me. 
What  had  I  to  offer  this  soul  that  was  in  such 
peril,  if  he  rejected  the  only  refuge  I  had  for  him. 
But  he  signed  my  pledge  and  promised  to 
come  to  my  meeting  that  night.  And  he  came. 
I  had  a  very  sweet  singer  helping,  and  as  was  our 
custom  in  that  work,  I  called  some  reformed 
men  to  the  platform  to  give  their  experience.  I 
invited  my  new  friend,  and  the  people,  I  could 
see,  were  very  eager  to  hear  him,  but  he  was  not 
yet  quite  sure  of  his  self-control.  He  declined  to 
speak,  but  added,  "I  have  a  speech  here," 
placing  his  hand  on  his  breast,  * '  to  deliver  some- 


MEMORIES   OF    THE   CRUSADE.  475 

time,  but  not  to-night. "  My  singer,  by  my  request, 
sang  two  stanzas  of  the  "Ninety  and  Nine,"  and 
I  was  about  to  proceed  with  the  exercises,  when 
my  friend  said,  "Mother  Stewart,  let  the  song 
go  on."  Ah  !  yes,  though  he  thought  he  did  not 
believe  in  Jesus,  he  did  want  to  hear  of  the  ten- 
der Shepherd  who  went  out  onto  the  mountain, 
bleak  and  wild,  to  bring  back  the  wanderer  to  the 
fold. 

"  DIDN'T  MOTHER  STEWART  GET  'EM?" 

My  esteemed  Brother,  Rev.  W.  D.  Milburn, 
the  very  efficient  and  successful  gospel  and  tem- 
perance revivalist,  has  been  in  the  habit,  after 
opening  up  his  work,  of  sending  to  me  to  come 
and  help  him,  and  I  always  made  it  a  point  to 
answer  the  call  if  not  otherwise  engaged,  for  I 
felt  sure  there  was  work  to  be  done.  On  one 
such  occasion  I  hastened  to  him  and  found  he 
was  having  crowded  houses  and  much  interest, 
with  a  blessed  atmosphere  which  seemed  to  say, 
"The  clouds  are  big  with  mercy;"  but  for 
some  unaccountable  reason  the  showers  did  not 
descend. 

We  held  several  meetings,  but  could  obtain  no 
signers  to  the  pledge,  though  there  were  many 
who  needed  to  sign.  At  length  the  impression 
came  to  me  that  the  fault  must  be  in  the  Church. 
Accordingly,  at  the  close  of  our  addresses  that 
evening,  I  told  the  audience  I  was  going  to  make 
a  request,  a  thing  I  rarely  did  of  my  audiences, 
but  I  felt  impressed  to  ask  the  members  of  the 


476  MEMORIES  OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

Church  if  they  would  oblige  me  by  rising  to  their 
feet.  Of  course  they  very  cheerfully  complied. 
I  thanked  them  and  asked  all  who  had  signed  the 
pledge  to  please  be  seated.  \  Very  few  took  their 
seats,  and  the  trap  was  so  unexpectedly  sprung 
that  the  delinquents  had  no  chance  of  retreat. 
I  went  right  on,  saying  that  was  all  right,  now 
would  those  standing  just  come  forward  at  once ; 
friends  would  please  open  the  passage.  There 
seemed  to  be  nothing  else  left  for  them,  and  they 
started  forward.  I  then,  with  exclamations  of 
thanksgiving,  exhorted  everybody  to  come,  now 
the  ice  was  broken.  And  they  did  throng  for- 
ward ;  the  Church  had  got  out  of  the  way.  Sis- 
ter C — 's  little,  white-headed,  wiry  son,  Guy, 
though  so  young,  seemed  to  be  taking  it  all  in. 
As  the  Church  members  came  forward,  he  sprang 
up  and  dodged  around  to  where  his  mother  sat 
in  the  choir,  and  crawling  under  the  seat  came 
up  by  her  side  and  whispered,  "Didn't  Mother 
Stewart  get  'em?" 

THE  LITTLE  MARTYR  AND  HER  MONUMENT. 

In  telling  of  my  visit  to  the  Washington 
County  Children's  Home,  I  intimated  that  I 
hoped  to  give,  further  on,  an  account  of  the  origin 
of  this  model  institution.  This  I  have  in  part 
from  the  benevolent  founder,  Miss  Catharine 
Fay  (now  Mrs.  Ewing,  a  classmate  and  dear 
friend  of  the  long  ago,  when  students  in  the 
Marietta  Seminary),  and  partly  from  a  very 
deeply  interesting  account  from  the  pen  of  the 


MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

Lev.  J.  H.  Jenkins.  Mr.  J.  says,  "To  find  the 
beginning  we  must  go  back  at  least  to  the  year 
1853.  On  the  then  far-off  frontier  of  Arkansas 
a  New  England  mother  lay  dying.  Deserted  by 
a  drunken  husband,  she  had  stood  alone  amid 
the  storms  of  that  winter,  fighting  against  starva- 
tion and  for  the  protection  of  her  five  children. 
She  sank  at  last,  exhausted.  Her  eyes  had 
closed  in  death, it  seemed, when  the  sobs  and  cries 
of  the  desolate  children  recalled  the  mother  to 
consciousness.  Clutching  the  physician's  hand, 
she  said,  with  a  voice  husky  and  weak,  'Oh, 
doctor !  will  you  not  see  that  they  find  homes  ? ' 
He  promised.  Her  eyes  closed  wearily.  She 
was  dead.  Homes  for  all  but  the  youngest 
were  soon  found.  Taking  this  little  girl,  then 
two  years  old,  on  his  horse,  the  kind-hearted 
physician  crossed  the  border,  and  committed  her 
to  the  keeping  of  a  young  woman  connected 
with  the  mission  among  the  Indians.  The  child 
was  delicate  and  must  have  been  rather  remark- 
able for  pensive  beauty.  Speaking  of  this  occur- 
rence afterwards,  the  young  missionary  said: 
'  As  I  took  that  dear,  motherless  child  in  my 
arms,  I  felt  such  a  love  as  I  have  never  since  felt — 
a  love,  I  believe,  implanted  by  God  for  future 
good.'  "  Can  I  not  keep  her?"  was  my  eager 
question.  Days  were  spent  in  planning  ;  nights 
in  prayers  and  tears.  But  it  was  of  no  avail.  I 
was  but  a  poor  teacher,  and  many  hundred  miles 
from  home. '  A  home  for  the  child  was  at  length 
found  and  the  time  for  parting  came.  Then  it 


478  MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

was  that  this  young  guardian  found  that  her  love 
for  the  helpless  little  one  had  become  a  con  trol- 
ling passion.  She  endeavored  to  console  herself 
with  the  thought  that  it  was  her  duty  to  give  the 
child  up,  and  that  it  could  not  be  otherwise. 
But  her  great  love  would  not  be  answered,  and 
out  of  its  restless  yearning  grew  a  vague  purpose 
that  sometime  she  would  make  a  home  for  such 
children.  But  in  all  probability,  left  to  itself, 
this  laudable  scheme  would  have  in  time  passed 
from  her  mind.  It  seemed,  therefore,  laid  upon 
that  mite  of  humanity  to  do  a  deeper  work. 
While  the  young  missionary  was  striving  to  con- 
quer what  she  esteemed  a  sinful  sorrow,  to  forget 
the  anguish  of  the  last  kiss,  when  with  gentle 
force,  she  parted  from  round  her  neck,  the  arms 
of  the  babe  clinging  as  with  instinctive  dread  of 
the  dark  fate  before  it,  news  came  that  the  child 
was  dead.  In  a  drunken  quarrel  between  her 
adopted  father  and  mother  she  had  been  acci- 
dentally killed.  This  intelligence  fell  like  a  crush- 
ing blow  upon  that  loving  heart,  already  so  sore. 
Her  health  gave  way  under  the  combined  power 
of  sorrow  and  self-  reproach.  Being  so  advised 
by  her  physician,  she  returned  to  Ohio,  and 
arrived  home  weak  in  body  but  strong  in  her  pur- 
pose to  devote  her  life  to  the  establishment  of  a 
children's  home." 

Her  health  came  back  and  she  bent  all  her 
energies  to  the  one  purpose  of  her  life.  She 
taught  school  for  several  years,  saving  every  cent 
of  her  salary  till  she  was  able  to  buy  twelve  acres 


MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE.  4/9 

of  land.  Then  buildings  must  be  erected,  the 
little  stray  lambs  must  be  gathered  in,  provided 
and  cared  for,  and  all  this  my  friend  did  out  of  her 
meagre  earnings,  and  through  her  own  labors  and 
personal  supervision,  with  very  little  help,  except 
as  God  would,  in  answer  to  her  cries  to  Him, 
put  it  into  the  hearts  of  some  of  the  more  benev- 
olent people  to  bring  her  aid. 

The  recital  of  the  toil  and  trials,  even  persecu- 
tions, that  my  friend  endured  while  working  out 
the  problem  to  which  she  had  set  her  life,  would, 
if  space  allowed,  read  more  like  the  creations  of 
a  highly  imaginative  brain  than  the  hard  realities 
of  a  most  practical  life.  But  these,  all  beautified 
and  made  glorious  by  her  faith  in  her  mission 
and  her  trust  in  God,  culminated,  after  the  long 
years  of  single-handed  effort,  in  the  realization  of 
her  hope — a  home  for  the  homeless  and  a  fitting 
monument  to  the  Little  Martyr  of  the  Drink 
Curse. 

A    BIT   OF    ROMANCE. 

I  have  given  so  many  sad  and  pitiful  incidents 
as  the  result  of  the  liquor  curse,  that  I  am  glad 
to  give  this  little  love  story  as  a  sort  of  silver 
lining  to  the  sombre  cloud  of  sorrow  and  misery. 

I  was  engaged  by  the  Ladies'  Union  of  a  pleas- 
ant university  town  for  a  series  of  meetings.  On 
Sabbath  evening  I  addressed  a  fine  audience  of 
young  people,  and  at  the  close  of  my  lecture 
called  for  signers  to  the  pledge, and  quite  a  num- 
ber came  forward.  But  the  President,  with  whom 


480  MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

I  was  stopping,  told  me  after  meeting  that  there 
was  one  young  man  at  the  meeting  who  had 
failed  to  sign,  though  some  of  his  friends  had 
seen  with  much  concern  for  a  good  while  that 
he  was,  unaware  to  himself,  passing  the  danger 
line  in  his  social  habits,  and  they  had  hoped  to  see 
him  take  the  much-needed  step.  He  was  of  good 
family  and  very  popular,  and  of  course  there  was 
that  night,  as  he  stood  in  the  choir,  one  by  his 
side  who  was  very  quietly,  but  with  prayerful 
interest,  watching  him.  As  soon  as  the  meeting 
was  over  she  hastened  to  the  President  and 
unburdened  her  heart.  She  had  noticed  his  agi- 
tation as  the  truth  had  seemed  for  the  first  time 
to  flash  upon  him,  that  he  was  already  in  the 
breakers,  with  weakened  power  to  contend  against 
them.  She  said  while  he  could  not  be  induced 
to  go  forward,  he  stood  there  as  one  transfixed, 
gazing  intently  at  the  speaker,  while  his  knees 
perceptibly  trembled  under  him.  The  President 
of  the  University  announced  at  the  close  that  I 
would  address  the  students  at  chapel  next  morn- 
ing. The  young  lady  invited  her  friend  to  go, 
saying  she  would  be  there,  and  he  promised  her 
he  would.  When  the  hour  came,  it  found  our 
young  friend  there,  and  the  young  lady  sat  near 
him,  though  without  any  words,  simply  in  that  way 
testifying  her  intense  interest  on  his  behalf.  At 
the  close  of  my  address  I  invited  the  students  to 
come  and  sign  the  pledge,  and  let  me  pin  on 
the  badge  of  blue.  I  think  all,  both  gentlemen 
and  ladies,  who  did  not  sign  the  evening  before, 


MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE.  481 

came  up  and  took  the  pledge.  After  they  had 
hurried  away  to  their  classes,  I  was  standing, 
talking  with  some  of  the  Professors,  when  a  lady 
touched  my  arm  and  in  a  low  tone  said  there 
was  a  young  man  in  the  hall  who  wished  to  talk 
with  me.  I  went  to  him  and  found  him  with  his 
head  bowed  on  the  seat  before  him,  weeping  and 
manifesting  much  agitation.  I  talked  to  him  as 
well  as  I  could,  urging  the  importance  of  his 
taking  the  decisive  step  at  once  by  signing  the 
pledge.  At  length  he  exclaimed,  "  Oh,  my 
stubborn  will!"  Said  I,  " My  son,  if  you  have  a 
stubborn  will,  thank  God  for  it.  If  properly 
exercised  it  will  be  your  salvation  in  helping  you 
to  resist  temptation. "  We  knelt  down  and  prayed 
over  it.  And  having  a  card  in  my  pocket  with 
my  own  name  on  it,  I  handed  it  to  him  and 
asked  him  to  put  his  name  down  by  it,  and  he 
did  so.  I  met  him  at  the  depot  a  few  hours  later 
and  had  an  interesting  conversation  with  him 
while  we  were  waiting  for  our  respective  trains. 
I  told  him  upon  parting,  that  when  I  reached  my 
next  place  I  would  make  and  send  him  a  badge, 
which  I  did,  and  promptly  came  a  manly  letter 
in  response.  He  said,  "  I  shall  not  attempt  to 
say  how  greatly  pleased  and  gratified  I  was 
when  I  received  and  read  your  letter  this  morn- 
ing. I  hasten  to  acknowledge  its  receipt  and  say 
that  I  believe  the  best  way  for  me  to  show  my 
appreciation  and  express  my  thanks  for  the 
interest  you  have  taken  in  me,  is  by  wearing 
each  day  the  badge  you  have  kindly  made  and 


482  MEMORIES  OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

presented  with  your  good-will  and  prayers.  I 
accept  it  with  due  acknowledgement  for  the 
honor,  as  I  consider  it,  and  shall  now  certainly 
hang  my  banner  on  the  outer  wall, — that  is,  I 

shall  as  soon  as  I  get  to  my  home  in ,   and 

you  will,  I  know,  pardon  me  for  thus  waiting, 
when  I  tell  you  that  it  has  been  requested  of  me 
by  a  young  lady  at  home,  that  in  the  event  of  your 
sending  it  to  me,  (and  I  knew  you  would), 
she  should  be  allowed  the  privilege  of  'nailing  fast 
the  colors. '  You  can  very  easily  imagine  the 
reply  a  young  man  would  give  to  such  a  request. 
I  begin  to  realize  that  henceforth  it  is  to  be  with 
me  a  continual  fight  with  my  own  nature  if  I  hold 
fast  to  what  I  have  pledged  myself.  Yet,  I  have 
never  for  a  moment  regretted  the  step  I  have 
taken." 

I  had  advised  him  to  put  himself  further  out 
of  the  reach  of  temptation,  by  at  once  going  to 
work  in  the  interest  of  the  cause.  He  says,  "  I 
have  already  done  a  little.  (He  was  in  the  U.  S. 
Mail  service.  )  Our  coming  election  in  our  State, 
for  Governor,  is  hanging  on  the  result  of  a  strong 
fight  being  now  waged  by  the  temperance  and 
anti-temperance  men.  Last  week  I  proposed  to 
my  partner  in  the  Mail  Service,  an  Ex-Senator 
and  a  very  strong  temperance  man,  that  I  would 
do  his  work  for  three  days  while  he  went  to  his 
county  and  worked  for  the  temperance  party. 
He  went,  and  it  is  now  clearly  shown  that  by  his 
efforts  the  sentiment,  which  before  had  been 
strongly  in  favor  of  the  whisky  party,  was  so 


MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE.  483 

changed  that  the  county  voted  to  send  a  temper- 
ance delegate  to  the  State  Convention,  with  the 
help  of  which  the  outlook  appears  quite  hopeful. 
No\v,  I  think  I  helped  the  cause/^/  a  little." 

Their  candidate  was  elected.  I  heard  from 
my  dear,  brave  boy  occasionally  afterwards,  till  at 
length  came  these  beautiful  wedding  cards,  that  I 
have  kept  as  a  sweet  reminder  of  my  cherished 
young  friends  ever  since.  These  were  soon  fol- 
lowed by  a  paper  giving  a  glowing  account  of 
the  wedding,  with  a  long  list  of  beautiful  and 
useful  wedding  presents. 


CHAPTER   XXII. 


Work  in  Virginia —  Waterford — Lincoln — Ham- 
ilton— Leesburg. 

'HE  first  year  of  active  work  and  exciting 
scenes  had  passed,  but,  though  so  much 
had  been  accomplished,  and  the  women 
so  aroused,  we  began  to  take  in  the  fact  that  it 
was  only  the  beginning — the  conflict  must  stretch 
out  into  the  long  years. 

The  form  had  changed,  but  the  work  must  be 
persistently  prosecuted.  A  large  army  of  ear- 
nest lecturers  and  organizers  were  entering  the 
field.  The  work  was  spreading  throughout  the 
land— throughout  the  Northern  States,  I  should 
say  with  more  exactness — and  my  calls  still  were 
coming  from  all  directions.  I  wish  I  might  tell 
of  the  calls  and  work  done  in  all  the  prominent 
cities  of  New  York,  many  of  the  towns  and  cities 
of  Western  Pennsylvania,  Indiana,  Michigan, 
Illinois  and  Iowa,  in  the  years  succeeding  the 
"Uprising."  The  limits  of  this  volume,  how- 
ever, forbid  it.  But  I  had  long  since  seen  that 
the  call  was  to  the  Christian  women  of  whatever 
name  or  nation.  How  could  those  of  other 
lands  than  our  own  be  reached  ?  I  had  bethought 

484 


MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE.  485 

me  of  a  committee  to  be  appointed  by  our  First 
National  Convention,  with  instructions  to  pre- 
pare a  letter  of  invitation  to  our  sisters  of  all 
Christendom  to  join  us,  but  for  some  reason  it 
failed  of  accomplishment, — perhaps  the  right 
time  had  not  come.  But  the  burden  still  lay  on 
my  heart,  and  I  was  crying  to  the  Lord  to  make 
a  way  i  possible  for  me  to  go  and  carry  my 
message  to  my  sisters  across  the  seas  myself, 
when,  at  the  National  Temperance  Convention 
in  Chicago,  in  1875,  I  met  Mrs.  Parker,  of 
Dundee,  Scotland,  and  Mrs.  Watson,  of  London, 
England,  who  were  here  as  delegates  to  the  R. 
W.  Grand  Lodge  of  Good  Templars,  that  had 
just  closed  its  session  in  Bloomington,  Illinois. 
These  ladies  invited  me  to  come  and  help  them 
open  up  the  work  in  their  country. 

The  result  was  a  visit  to  that  country, — a 
warm-hearted  reception,  and  co-operation  in 
inaugurating  the  work  of  the  British  Women's 
Temperance  Association.  But  the  purpose  and 
limit  of  these  pages  will  not  admit  of  the  history 
of  these  few  months  of  abundant  and  happy 
work,  though  if  life  and  health  shall  not  fail  me, 
I  hope  to  give  it  to  my  friends  ere  long.  But  a 
great  field  in  our  own  beloved  land  was  still 
unoccupied,  and  now  my  heart  was  going  out  to 
my  sisters  of  the  South  land. 

It  is  true  that  Mrs.  Wittenmyer,  our  first  Presi- 
dent, had,  in  1 876,  visited  some  points  in  the  South 
and  organized  a  few  unions,  but  the  Southern 
ladies  did  not  as  yet  look  upon  the  work  with  favor. 


486  MEMORIES  OF  THE    CRUSADE. 

They  had  taken  the  impression  that  the  Crusade 
was  some  sort  of  unwomanly  demonstration  that 
they  could  not  endorse.  The  sectional  prejudices 
had  in  the  past  kept  us  apart  and  given  each 
section  erroneous  and  exaggerated  ideas  of  the 
other,  and  the  war  had  intensified  these  senti- 
ments into  bitter  hate.  Neither  could  believe 
any  good  could  come  out  of  the  Nazareth  that 
contained  everything  that  we  considered  wrong. 
Then  the  political  "reconstruction,"  and  the 
forever  harping  on  the  "bloody  shirt"  and 
"lost  cause,"  in  every  political  campaign,  by 
unprincipled  leaders,  was  serving  to  increase  the 
hate  and  widen  the  breach.  Years  had  gone 
since  the  war  troubles  were  proclaimed  as 
"settled,  and  we  once  more  a  whole,  united 
people,"  yet  there  was  no  unity  or  community 
of  interests ;  nor  could  there  be  while  the  dema- 
gogues from  year  to  year  continued  to  deliver 
their  harangues  and  excite  the  ignorant  rabble  of 
both  sections,  and  thus  seek  to  carry  the  election 
for  their  party  and  their  own  personal  interests. 
Must  this  go  on  forever?  The  Lord  showed 
me  by  the  teaching  of  His  Holy  Spirit  that  He 
had  given  it  into  the  hands  of  the  Christian 
Temperance  Women,  with  the  watchword  and 
battle  cry,  "For  God  and  Home  and  Native 
Land, "  to  reach  out  the  olive  branch  of  Christian 
sisterhood  and  to  pour  the  oil  of  peace  on  the 
turbid  and  forever  seething  sea  of  political  strife 
and  sectional  animosities. 

And  again  was  I  crying  to  Him,  "  Here  am 


MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE.  487 

I,  send  me,"  when  an  invitation,  unsought  on 
my  part,  came  from  the  Good  Templars  of 
Loudon  county,  Virginia,  requesting  me  to 
come  and  give  them  a  few  weeks'  work.  I 
gladly  hastened  to  respond,  and  spent  a  month 
in  the  spring  of  1877,  in  that  delightful  section 
of  "Old  Virginia,"  working  with  the  Good 
Templars  and  Friends.  By  the  aid  of  Mr.  J. 
Edward  Walker, — one  of  the  Lord's  noblest 
men — Mrs.  N.  A.  Beans,  the  Misses  Steares  and 
others  of  Waterford ;  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Joseph  M. 
Jewett,  and  Dr.  Stone  and  lady,  of  Lincoln  ;  Dr. 
Susie  Gore,  Mr.  Thomas  Taylor,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Hoag,  and  Yardly  Brown,  editor  of  the  Telephone, 
Hamilton  ;  and  my  young  friend,  Charlie  Han- 
ford,  of  Guilford ;  and  indeed,  by  the  co-opera- 
tion of  the  temperance  friends  all  over  the  county, 
I  was  enabled  to  put  in  a  month  of  active  and,  I 
think,  profitable  work.  We  formed  a  W.  C.  T. 
U.  at  Lincoln,  Mrs.  Jewett  being  made  Presi- 
dent. Mrs.  Jewett  was  a  sister  of  that  saintly 
man,  Rev.  Samuel  M.  Janney,  whose  home  was  in 
Lincoln,  and  who  became  an  honorary  member 
of  the  Union,  and  a  sympathetic  and  valuable 
counselor.  He  has  since  gone  up  to  sit  among 
the  Elders  in  his  Father's  house. 

We  also  formed  Unions  at  Waterford  and 
Hamilton.  The  sisters  at  once  took  up  the 
work  among  the  children,  and  soon  after  I  left 
they  joined  the  brethren  with  great  earnestness 
in  the  Local  Option  campaign. 

It  was  my  pleasure  to  organize  the  first  colored 


488  MEMORIES  OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

Blue  Ribbon  Club  in  the  South  (  as  far  as  I  have 
any  knowledge ),  at  Waterford.  They  seemed 
to  possess  much  more  intelligence  and  thrift  than 
the  colored  people  generally  through  the  country ; 
the  secret  being  that  two  sisters  —  devoted 
young  Quaker  ladies,  the  Misses  Steares — had 
opened  a  school  for  that  unfortunate  people  as 
soon  as  it  was  made  possible  by  the  fortunes  of 
the  war,  and  had  continued  their  Christian  work 
till  the  results  were  seen  in  the  community 
enjoying  a  degree  of  education,  morals  and 
prosperity  very  much  in  advance  of  the  gener- 
ality of  the  freedmen.  But  no  one  who  has  not 
been  in  the  South  can  understand  the  trials,  the 
ostracism,  experienced  by  these  young  ladies,  or 
any,  who  attempted  to  reach  out  a  hand  to  help 
those  poor,  liberated  slaves. 

While  in  Virginia  I  was  told  of  a  young 
Quakeress  of  very  superior  education  and  refine- 
ment, who  came  from  Philadelphia  as  soon  as  it 
was  possible  after  the  emancipation,  and  opened 
a  school  in  one  of  the  towns  in  that  region ;  but 
while  every  one  saw  and  acknowledged  that  she 
was  a  lady  in  the  highest  sense  of  the  term,  and 
a  superior  educator, — saying  they  wished  they 
could  only  have  such  a  teacher  for  their  own 
children, — yet  they  would  not  give  her  recogni- 
tion any  more  than  if  she  had  been  the  lowest  name- 
less woman  on  the  street.  No  one  would  speak 
to  her ;  of  course  no  one  would  give  her  board- 
ing,— she  was  obliged  to  take  a  room  adjoining 
an  old  colored  woman  and  board  with  her.  Oh, 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  489 

what  an  army  of  moral  heroes  and  heroines  will 
answer  to  the  roll-call  of  the  Master  in  that  day 
of  assizes,  and  with  wondering  gladness  hear  the 
blessed,  "  Inasmuch  as  ye  did  it  unto  one  of  the 
least  of  these,  ye  did  it  unto  me." 

But  my  Blue  Ribbon  Club,  how  grateful  they 
were  for  the  interest  I  showed  them. 

At  the  close  of  my  address  the  aged  men  and 
women  arose  one  after  another,  and  with  a 
peculiar  sort  of  courtesy,  and  simple  but  feeling 
language,  expressed  their  thanks. 

Among  the  sunniest  memories  of  my  life  are 
those  delightful,  leisurely  drives  with  Dr.  Susie 
Gore,  to  the  various  appointments,  over  the 
beautiful  roads  and  among  the  stately  old  home- 
steads of  old  Loudon.  In  one  of  these — ' '  Oat- 
land," — I  was  hospitably  entertained  by  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Carter  and  Major  and  Mrs.  Minnegerode. 
This  beautiful  estate  was  a  "crown  grant"  way 
back  in  old  colonial  times,  and  had  never  since 
passed  out  of  the  Carter  family. 

These  dear  friends  were  on  the  Confederate 
side  in  the  war,  but  ready  to  join  now  with 
might  and  influence  with  the  Northern  Crusader 
against  our  great  common  enemy.  Major 
Minnegerode  was  one  of  the  finest  specimens  of 
southern  young  manhood  I  had  ever  met ;  tall 
and  finely  proportioned,  a  genial,  warm  hearted 
gentleman,  a  son  of  that  eminent  divine,  Dr. 
Minnegerode,  of  Richmond.  He  was  in  Gen. 
Lee's  army,  and  it  was  his  misfortune  to  receive 
the  last  shot  on  Appomattox  battle-field,  only 


490'  MEMORIES   OF  THE    CRUSADE. 

some  twenty  minutes  before  the  surrender, 
which  laid  him  on  his  back  for  two  years.  I 
sometime  since  saw  a  statement  that  Major 
Minnegerode,  being  in  Boston,  attended  the 
theatre,  taking  a  box.  In  a  few  moments 
another  gentleman  was  ushered  in,  and  looking 
up  he  saw  the  surgeon  of  the  Federal  army  who 
came  to  his  assistance  on  the  battle-field  and 
tended  him  with  a  brother's  care,  saving  his  life. 
The  recognition  was  mutual,  though  long  years 
had  intervened,  and  the  eager  embrace  of  those 
two  men  told  of  an  undying  friendship  formed 
on  that  battle-field,  though  one  wore  the  blue 
and  the  other  the  gray. 

My  last  meeting  was  in  the  old,  aristocratic, 
rebel  town  of  Leesburg.  It  took  a  good  deal  of 
management  on  the  part  of  the  temperance 
ladies  to  get  the  door  sufficiently  opened  in  this 
old,  conservative  place  to  get  a  hearing  for  our 
cause,  but  perseverance  and  strategy  won,  and 
our  meeting  was  announced  for  the  court-house, 
and  a  large  audience  was  gathered,  my  friends 
from  the  other  towns  escorting  me  in.  It  was 
very  discernible  that,  though  the  audience  was 
composed  of  the  best  class  of  ladies  and  gentle- 
men in  the  town,  it  was  more  of  curiosity  to  see 
and  hear  a  "sure  enough"  Crusader  than  inter- 
est in  the  cause  that  had  called  them  out.  As  I 
took  my  seat  upon  entering,  an  elderly  gentle- 
man came  forward  and  shook  hands,  giving  me 
his  name  and  saying  he  understood  that  I  was  a 
Methodist,  and  added  that  he  was  also.  I 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  49! 

expressed  my  pleasure  and  said  I  had  now  been 
a  Methodist  for  forty-six  years.  He  answered 
that  he  had  been  something  longer;  so  we 
started  off  the  best  of  friends.  He  took  his  seat 
in  front  of  the  platform  to  assist  in  the  singing, 
being  a  very  fine  singer.  Lawyer  Janney  pre- 
sided, and  our  meeting  started  off  in  fine  style. 

It  was  just  after  that  wonderful  contrivance  to 
cheat  the  simple  Christian  people  and  please  his 
Satanic  majesty,  the  "Moffett  bell-punch"  had 
been  introduced,  and  I  felt  called  upon  to  pay 
my  respects  to  it,  and  also  to  the  nine  "respect- 
able" men  who  had  been  endorsed  by  good 
worthy  citizens  as  competent  to  wield  that 
curiously  contrived  death-knell,  very  probably 
by  good  church  members.  I  turned  suddenly 
to  my  Methodist  brother,  saying :  ' '  My  brother, 
has  any  member  of  the  Methodist  church  signed 
the  petitions  of  these  'respectable  men?1  If  he 
has,  report  him  to  the  minister  and  have  him 
turned  out;  he  has  no  business  in  the  Methodist 
church."  Why,  mercy  !  What  had  I  done  ! 

That  audience  fairly  screamed,  and  drowned 
my  voice,  so  that  I  had  to  stand  there  speech - 
K->s.  I  could  not  see  any  such  exciting  point  to 
that  little  advice,  and  became  greatly  alarmed 
lest  the  people  had  in  that  way  decided  to  silence 
me.  But  I  stood  with  as  composed  a  countenance 
as  possible,  till  there  was  a  moment's  lull,  then  I 
quietly  thanked  the  audience  for  their  apprecia- 
tion of  the  point  that  seemed  to  have  been  made, 
but  explained  that  my  meetings  were  always  in 


4Q2  MEMORIES   OF   THE    CRUSADE. 

the  nature  of  religious  services,  and  I  hoped 
they  would  observe  the  same  decorum  that  they 
would  in  the  sanctuary.  From  this  out  there 
was  respectful  and  silent  attention.  Upon  turn- 
ing to  my  Good  Templar  brethren  for  an  expla- 
nation, at  the  close  of  the  meeting,!  was  informed 
that  my  dear  Methodist  brother,  who  was  also  a 
Good  Templar,  was  renting  one  of  his  houses  for  a 
saloon,  and  there  had  been  a  very  serious  time 
about  it.  Sides  had  been  taken,  and  it  had  resulted 
in  nearly  causing  a  split  in  the  Lodge.  One 
gentleman  brought  his  hand  down  on  Brother 
Taylor's  knee  with  startling  vehemence,  saying 
he  would  not  take  five  dollars  for  that.  But 
I  have  been  a  little  careful  since  about  "  selling 
out"  my  Methodist  brethren. 

On  my  return  I  took  in  Washington,  and  by 
invitation  of  Rev.  Rankin,  of  the  Congregational 
church,  who  was  carrying  on  a  Blue  Ribbon 
revival,  I  had  the  pleasure  of  assisting  him  in  a 
few  meetings.  » 

I  also  made  use  of  my  prerogative,  while  at 
the  Capital,  as  an  American  citizen,  to  call  on 
our  Chief  Executive,  and  for  lack  of  anything  at 
hand  worth  saying,  I  remarked  to  the  President 
that  I  wished  him  to  understand  that  I  was  not 
an  applicant  for  office,  and  had  no  axe  to  grind, 
and  yet  if  he  had  anything  in  the  way  of  a 
consulate,  or  something  of  that  sort,  I  should  cer- 
tainly very  gratefully  accept.  "Well,  now," 
said  he,  '  *  I  am  sorry  to  hear  you  say  you  are 
not  seeking  an  office,  for  Mrs.  Hayes  is  just  now 


MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE.  493 

in  correspondence  with  the  Queen  of  Madagascar 
—you  know  they  have  the  Maine  Law  there. 
She  complains  that  while  the  representatives  of 
all  other  governments  respect  her  law,  our  consul 
disregards  it,  claiming  by  virtue  of  the  commer- 
cial treaty  the  right  to  enter  liquors  into  her 
ports.  * '  Now, "  said  he,  ' '  if  it  is  found  necessary 
to  recall  him,  I  am  sure  you  would  respect  the 
law." 

I  thanked  him  and  assured  him  I  should  most 
certainly  respect  the  Queen's  laws.  If  I  failed 
to  get  my  appointment,  my  luck  was  not  worse 
than  that  of  several  others. 

The  Blue  Ribbon  movement  followed  in  the 
wake  of  our  Crusade  and  gathered  in  thousands 
of  men  that  otherwise  would  have  filled  the 
drunkard's  grave.  We  were  glad  to  give  it  our 
most  earnest  support  and  assistance.  I  had  the 
happiness  of  being  the  first  to  carry  that  work 
across  the  Mississippi  into  Iowa,  where  it  was 
taken  up  with  much  enthusiasm  and  many  cases 
of  "saved"  I  could  recount  if  admissible.  In 
our  own  city  it  was  introduced  by  Col.  Richard 
Realf,  that  brilliant  orator,  poet,  journalist  and 
brave  soldier.  My  heart  aches  and  the  tears 
will  well  up  as  I  recall  that  wonderful,  generous 
and  genial  friend,  "son,  "  as  he  asked  me  to  call 
him. 

What  a  remarkable  and  eventful  history  was 
his.  An  Englishman  by  birth,  who  showed 
unusual  poetical  genius,  even  when  a  boy,  and 
by  his  productions  attracted  the  notice  of  literary 


494  MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE. 

people,  among  them  Lady  Byron,  who  took  him 
under  her  patronage.  But  his  enthusiastic  nature 
became  enlisted  in  America  and  her  political 
struggles.  Coming  to  our  country,  he  at  once 
espoused  the  anti  slavery  cause,  and  seeking  out 
that  old  martyr,  John  Brown,  became  his  secre- 
tary, and  only  escaped  his  fate  by  having  gone 
for  the  time  back  to  England.  But  returning,  he 
made  his  way  into  the  extreme  South  and  com- 
menced a  lecturing  tour,  when  he  was  discovered, 
taken  prisoner  and  had  a  thrilling  experience, 
barely  escaping  death  several  times  at  the  hands 
of  the  infuriated  Southern  mobs  that  surrounded 
him  and  his  escort  at  the  different  points  on  their 
way  to  Washington. 

At  one  place  he  was  taken  from  the  hands  of 
the  officers  by  the  mob,  a  rope  put  about  his 
neck,  and  hauled  up,  once,  twice,  and  again 
they  were  about  to  draw  him  up  for  the  last  time, 
when  a  gentleman  who  had  just  arrived  on  the 
train  stepped  forward  and  shamed  them  for  cow- 
ards, and  ordered  them  to  desist.  Said  he  was  a 
Southern  man,  a  Virginian,  was  coming  to  find 
a  home  in  the  Southwest,  and  was  in  sympathy 
with  them,  but  he  would  not  see  an  unarmed 
man  set  upon  in  that  way,  and  the  next  that 
touched  the  rope  would  receive  the  contents  of 
his  revolver.  They  released  him,  and  being 
taken  to  Washington,  it  was  found  that  he  was 
not  guilty  of  any  overt  act,  and  so  he  was  set  at 
liberty.  He  then  enlisted  in  the  Federal  army  and 
fought  bravely,  coming  near,  at  different  times,  to 


MEMORIES   OF  THE  CRUSADE.  49$ 

being  taken  prisoner,  where  he  knew  very  well  he 
would  have  had  no  hope  of  mercy.  He  brought 
from  Chickamauga  a  testimony  of  his  bravery 
and  loyalty  to  his  adopted  country  in  a  bullet 
wound,  the  effects  of  which  he  carried  to  the 
grave.  But  he  added  one  more  to  the  long  list 
of  conquered  by  drink. 

But  when  Francis  Murphy  opened  his  wonder- 
ful work  in  Pittsburgh,  Col.  Realf  signed  the 
p'cdge  and  at  once  took  the  platform,  and  brought 
all  his  earnestness  and  eloquence  into  the  cause 
and  did  a  grand  work.  If  only  Francis  Murphy 
had  made  use  of  such  an  opportunity  as  never 
was  given  to  another  man  in  this  country,  and 
taken  a  stand  for  total  prohibition  at  the  ballot 
box  and  exhorted  his  army  of  reformed  men  to  do 
the  same,  I  am  honest  in  the  belief  that  the 
result  would  have  been  seen  in  the  great  advance 
of  prohibition  all  over  the  country,  and  the 
shielding  of  many  of  those  poor  slaves  of  appe- 
tite who  were  struggling  for  deliverance  against 
such  fearful  odds,  and  who  did  go  down  again. 
Like  many  another,  he  failed  to  see  and  grasp 
the  great  opportunity  of  his  life. 

As  an  instance  of  Col.  Rcalf 's  power  to  turn 
even  small  things  to  account,  I  am  reminded 
that  upon  calling  on  me  after  his  arrival,  he  at 
once  noticed  and  remarked  upon  my  various 
souvenirs  that  I  had  as  memorL  s  of  my  visit  to 
his  country.  I  told  him  I  had  something  else  that 
he  would  recognize,  and  brought  a  little  primrose 
that  I  had  cherished,  having  a  solitary  blossom 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

remaining,  and  put  it  into  his  hand.  He  was 
almost  overcome  by  the  sight,  and  with  heaving 
bosom  exclaimed,  as  he  held  it  up  and  looked  at 
it,  * '  There  is  a  primrose  from  dear  old  England. 
Mother,  I'll  steal  it "  "No,  "said  I,  "my  son,  you 
shall  not,  I  have  saved  it  on  purpose  for  you  ;  " 
and  before  he  started  for  the  hall,  I  pinned  it 
onto  his  lapel.  I  was  not  able  to  be  present, 
but  was  told  that  in  the  course  of  his,  lecture  he 
called  the  attention  of  the  audience  to  the  little, 
pale  flower  and  at  once  burst  into  a  strain  of 
eloquence,  recalling  the  scenes  of  his  childhood, 
"Merrie  old  England,"  with  her  green  fields, 
laughing  little  streams  with  mossy  banks,  haw- 
thorne  hedges  with  the  primrose,  daisy  and 
harebells  nestled  under,  the  lark  and  nightingale, 
home,  sweet  home,  and  mother.  It  was  said 
there  was  scarcely  an  eye  in  that  audience  that 
did  not  look  up  at  the  orator  through  a  mist  of 
tears. 

But  alas !  alas !  the  demon  was  not  to  be 
thwarted  of  his  prey.  He  had  years  before, 
while  under  the  influence  of  liquor,  through  a 
mistaken  sense  of  gratitude,  made  a  fatal  mar- 
riage that  blasted  all  his  life,  and  rinding  no  way 
of  escape,  he,  in  a  moment  of  despair,  caught  his 
medicine  that  sat  on  the  stand  by  his  bed,  as  he 
lay  very  ill,  drained  it  to  the  dregs,  and  quenched 
forever  that  strangely  eventful  life.  As  a  mother 
mourns  for  a  beloved  son,  so  do  even  now  my  tears 
rain  down  for  Richard  Realf.  I  have  no  other 
apology  to  offer  for  introducing  here  this  imper- 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  497 

feet  reminiscence  of  that  remarkably  gifted  man. 

Though  busy  in  whatever  phase  of  work  I 
found  to  do,  organizing  and  lecturing  for  our 
Unions,  Gospel  Temperance,  Blue  Ribbon  or 
Prohibition,  I  did  not  lose  sight  of  the  Southern 
field,  to  which  my  heart  continually  turned, 
and  for  which  I  was  still  praying  the  blessed 
Lord  to  give  me  an  open  door.  At  length, 
by  request  of  Sister  Scott,  of  Louisville,  and  other 
ladies  from  the  South,  I  was  made  chairman  of 
Southern  work  at  our  National  Convention  held 
in  Indianapolis  in  1879. 

Miss  Abby  D.  Munroe,  Miss  Jennie  Smith, 
Mrs.  L.  M.  Chase,  Mrs.  M.  M.  Clardy,  Mrs. 
A.  M.  Linville,  Mrs.  Dr.  J.  C.  Thomas,  being 
my  committee.  It  was  some  weeks  before  I 
received  my  notification  of  the  fact.  But  I  went 
to  work  with  a  glad,  eager  heart,  and  in  ten  days 
had  the  following  circular  on  its  way  to  all  the 
prominent  papers,  secular  as  well  as  religious 
and  temperance,  in  the  South. 

To  the  Christian  Ladies  of  ttie  Southern  States,  Greeting: 

BELOVED  SISTKRS  :  —At  our  Women's  National 
Christian  Temperance  Convention  recently  held  at 
Indian  ipjlis,  a  Committee  was  appointed  whose  duty 
it  should  be  to  open  correspondence  with  the  Chris- 
tian ladies  of  the  South  and  invite  their  co-operation 
with  us  in  the  work  of  promoting  Christian  Temper- 
ance. 

We  feel  that  the  Lord  hath  called  the  Christian 
women  of  our  land  to  a  great  and  holy  work,  by  using 
their  influence  as  followers  "f  the  Lord  Jesus  to  stay 
the  tide  of  Intemperance,  whose  waves  are  every  year 
engulfing  so  many  thousands  of  souls  for  whom  our 
blessed  Savior  died. 


498  MEMORIES   OF   THE    CRUSADE. 

That  fell  destroyer  is  blasting  more  lives,  destroy- 
ing the  peace  and  happiness  of  more  homes,  causing 
more  poverty,  sorrow  and  crime,  and  ruining  more 
souls  than  all  other  forms  of  sin  combined. 

This  influence  woman  can  use  in  her  own  house- 
hold by  banishing  the  wine-cup  from  her  table,  the 
intoxicating  beverage  from  her  sideboard,  by  practic- 
ing the  principles  of  total  abstinence  herself  and 
teaching  them  to  her  children. 

And  by  such  blessed  example  and  teaching  in  her 
own  home  she  does  become  an  influence  in  her  own 
community  for  the  right  Again,  by  combining  our 
influence  and  our  prayers  we  strengthen  ourselves 
and  each  other  and  become  helpers,  co-workers  with 
our  ministers  in  promoting  Temperance  and  our  holy 
religion  among  the  people. 

In  our  work  we  usurp  no  other's  prerogative.  Ours 
is  emphatically  and  simply  woman's  work.  Neither 
is  there  any  sectarianism  or  sectionalism  in  it. 

The  beauty  of  it  consists  in  bringing  the  women  rf 
all  denominations  together  on  one  broad  platform  of 
Christian  benevolence  and  philanthropy.  The  only 
condition,  a  desire  for  the  welfare  of  humanity  and 
the  salvation  of  souls. 

I  am  most  happy  to  say  that  the  Convention  did 
me  the  honor  of  making  me  Chairman  of  the  Commit 
tee ;  I  say  most  happy,  for  my  heart  has  long  been 
drawn  toward  the  South ;  and  I  have  been  devoutly 
praying  that  the  Lord  would  open  a  door  ot  com- 
munication for  me  with  the  Christian  ladies  of  the 
South,  on  this  vital  question.  I  therefore  receive 
this  commission  as  from  His  hand,  praying  that  He 
may  give  me  access  to  the  hearts  of  the  sisters  of  the 
South,  and  I  most  earnestly  solicit  your  prayers,  my 
dear  sisters,  that  we  may  be  able  by  some  means  to 
bring  our  united  prayers  and  efforts  to  bear  for  the 
destruction  of  this  mighty  foe  to  the  church  and  to 
the  peace  and  welfare  of  our  country.  I  also  respect- 
fully solicit  a  free  correspondence  on  the  subject.  In 
the  bonds  of  our  blessed  Gospel.  Yours, 

MOTHER  STEWART, 
Chairman  Committee. 

Springfield,  Ohio,  Dec.  i$th,  1879. 


MEMORIES    OF   THE    CRUSADE. 


499 


I  also  addressed  personal  letters  to  the  editors, 
asking  their  endorsement,  hunted  up  and  wrote 
to  many  prominent  persons,  especially  my 
acquaintances.  The  editors  did,  very  kindly, 
publish  my  letter,  and  many  wrote  very  kind 
editorials  commending  my  work.  Among  the 
various  responses  called  forth  by  my  circular  let- 
ter was  one  from  Mobile,  claiming  to  be  written 
by  a  Jew,  which,  for  its  peculiarity,  I  feel  dis- 
posed to  copy  here : 

"DEAR  MADAM:  — I  have  seen  your  circular 
addressed  exclusively  to  the  Christian  ladies  of  the 
South,  and  I  consider  it  most  appropriate.  Christian- 
ity, in  its  long  years  of  preaching  a  single  doctrine 
of  Christ  and  Him  crucified,  has  overlooked  the  evils 
following  in  the  wake  of  the  missionary  ;  the  greatest 
of  which  being  the  evil  you  are  laboring,  where 
others  have  in  vain  labored,  to  eradicate.  The  sav- 
ages of  America  knew  nothing  of  poisonous  drinks 
till  Christian  civilization  planted  it  among  them. 
Christian  efforts,  as  I  before  said,  are  so  blinded  in 
one  direction,  that  honest  and  true  believers  in  Christ 
overlook  the  essential  teaching  of  the  Savior.  Christ 
lived  up  to  the  essence  of  Moses'  laws.  His  last 
hours  were  spent  in  celebrating  the  Passover;  show- 
ing he  was  a  good  Jew.  Go  to  work  and  teach 
I  ie<  >|)le  to  live  up  to  the  sanitary  teaching  of  old  Moses. 
You  can  do  it,  and  not  sacrifice  Christian  doctrine. 
Ask  your  Jewish  neighbors  to  explain  their  mode  of 
living  and  you  will  learn  how  to  cure  drunkenness. 
As  1  am  ;i  S'»t>er  person  and  belong  to  a  sober  race, 
your  appeal  does  not  concern  me  beyond  the  natural 
inclination  to  live  in  a  community,  whether  Christian 
or  heathen,  where  morality  is  the  rule  instead  of 
the  exception.  And  as  I  live  in  a  so-called  Christian 
community,  where  we  have  drunkards,  murderers, 
thieves,  etc.,  I  shall  glory  in  your  good  work." 

He  tells  of  his  good,  sensible  wife  and  eight 
children,  all  sober  and  home-keepers,  making  a 


5OO  MEMORIES   OF  THE    CRUSADE. 

very  interesting  picture  of  the  Jewish  home.  I 
confess  that  for  several  reasons  the  letter  was 
interesting  to  me.  It  seems  that  with  too  much 
reason  we  have  it  ever  thrown  into  our  teeth  by 
Jew,  Mohammedan  and  Heathen,  that  drunken- 
ness is  the  Christian  vice  and  curse,  and  that 
wherever  Christian  civilization  and  commerce  go, 
the  inevitable  curse  follows  in  the  wake,  side  by 
side  with  the  missionary  and  the  Bible. 

I  considered  my  unknown  friend's  communi- 
cation of  sufficient  importance  to  be  answered  and 
wrote  the  following : 

LOUISVILLE,  KY.,  Jan.  29,  1880. 

MY  DEAR  SIR  :  —  Among  my  mail  forwarded  and 
awaiting  my  arrival  here,  was  your  most  welcome  and 
deeply  interesting  letter.  I  have  been  from  home 
now  three  weeks,  traveling  and  working  in  the  cause 
for  which  you  so  kindly  express  your  sympathy. 
This  is  the  reason  I  did  not  receive  your  favor  sooner, 
and  my  apology  for  not  having  answered  it  more 
promptly.  I  had,  indeed,  intended  to  answer  at  once 
upon  reading,  but  as  I  was  to  meet  the  temperance 
friends  soon,  I  decided  to  wait  and  read  your  letter 
to  them,  first,  and  ask  them  what  answer  I  should 
give  to — I  wish  I  could  in  truth  say  this  "scoffing 
Jew," — upbraiding  is  the  word  I  am  obliged  to  use 
instead,  with  too  much  reason. 

The  friends  said,  Tell  him  we  admit  there  is  too 
much  truth  in  his  charge;  we  deplore  it  and  are  work- 
ing to  induce  a  change.  They,  however,  requested 
me  to  say,  while  not  all  the  followers  of  our  Christ 
live  up  to  His  blessed  precepts,  neither  do  all  the  sons 
of  Jacob  live  up  to  the  God-given  laws  of  Moses. 
Man  is  sinful  and  prone  to  evil  as  the  sparks  fly 
upward.  And  the  friends  further  desired  me  to  say 
we  are  glad  to  work  with  you  and  glad  to  have  you 
work  with  us  for  the  extinction  of  this  great  evil— curse, 
indeed,  upon  our  country. 

We  can  unite  thus  far,  at  least,  for  the  sake  of  bet- 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  $01 

tering  the  community  in  which  we  live,  and  we  all 
should  be  interested,  because  the  effect  of  eradicating 
the  liquor  is  at  once  to  put  a  stop  to  drunkenness, 
murder,  thtft,  and  nearly  the  entire  catalogue  of 
crimes.  I  thank  you,  my  dear  sir,  for  the  statement 
that  Christ  lived  up  to  the  essence  of  Moses' law,  and 
I  may  add,  (and  I  know  you  will  agree  with  me  in 
this),  that  if  we  all  would  live  up  to  His  precepts — 
"all  things  whatsoever  ye  would  that  men  should  do 
to  you  do  ye  even  so  to  them,  for  this  is  the  law  and 
the  Prophets,"  (or  the  fulfilling  of  them  ), — if  we  all 
would  observe  this  rule,  there  would  be  no  need  of 
this  call  that  I  make  to  the  women  to  help,  nor  for 
my  going  to  and  fro  among  them,  to  try  to  induce 
them  to  see  the  need  of  cleansing  their  own  homes 
and  teaching  their  own  households  the  principles  of 
total  abstinence. 

.t,  oh,  great,  is  the  need  of  education  on  the 
subject.  I  am  prepared  from  what  I  know  of  your 
people,  to  admit  your  statement,  that  ye  are  as  a  rule 
a  temperate  people.  I  understand  also  that  the 
hygienic  laws  of  Moses,  which  to  so  many  seem  but 
arbitrary  precepts,  are  indeed  for  the  governing  of  our 
lives,  that  our  health  and  happiness  may  thereby  be 
promoted.  I  am  also  prepared  to  give  witness  that 
Sarah's  daughters  are  keepers  at  home,  wifely,  moth- 
erly, virtuous.  And  in  regard  to  the  home  enjoyments 
and  keeping,  I  have  in  my  mind  now  a  family,  once 
my  nextneighbors,who  were  very  beautiful  exponents 
of  the  principle.  I  esteemed  them  as  most  valued 
;ibors  and  friends.  I  wish  I  had  time  to  tell  you 
\ery  clear  fi  iend  I  have  in  Glasgow,  Scotland,  a 
(Liu- liter  of  Abraham,  but  who  has  accepted  Jesus  as 
her  promised  Messiah.  The  Temperance  ladies  sent 
her  with  me  to  some  other  towns,  and  when  I  intro- 
duced her  as  a  daughter  of  Israel,  the  audiences 
would  listen  with  breathless  interest,  while  in  her 
low,  sweet  voir-;  and  foreign  accent  she  would  try  to 
persuade  the  hearers  to  a  life  of  total  abstinence, 
making  her  arguments  the  stronger  for  her  copious 
quotations  from  the  law  and  the  Prophets.  I  wish, 
too.  that  I  could  tell  you  more  than  1  have  time  now 
trieml  of  mine  who  believes  and  is  teaching  that 
Jesus  the  Cv  i-t.  is  coming  very  soon,  "  looking  for  His 
Appearing"  daily. 


502  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

That  He  will  come  to  Mount  Sinai  first  and  there 
call  His  elect  from  the  four  winds,  will  meet  His  ene- 
mies on  His  way  to  Jerusalem,  and  will  conquer 
them.  Going  up  to  Mt.  Zion,  to  His  own,  who  are 
already  gathering — all  the  political  movements  in  the 
East  indicating  that  ere  long  the  Jews  shall  be  in 
possession  of  Palestine  and  waiting  His  coming — and 
will  receive  Him,  for  then  He  will  come  the  Con- 
querer  and  King  of  nations.  But  beholding  His  hands 
and  seeing  the  prints  of  the  cruel  nails,  they,  with 
wonder  and  astonishment,  will  cry  out,  What !  art  thou 
Jesus  of  Nazareth?"  And  being  revealed  to  His  own 
they  will  receive  Him,  the  once  lowly,  despised  Naz- 
arene,  now  the  Holy  One  of  Israel,  of  whom  Moses  in 
the  law  and  the  prophets  did  write.  Oh,  I  would  like 
to  live  to  see  the  glorious  day ! 

But  I  was  assured  that  to  make  my  work  effec- 
tive, I  must  go  and  carry  my  message  to  my 
Southern  sisters.  But  an  expense  would  nec- 
essarily be  incurred,  and  there  were  no  funds  for 
such  work.  Blessed  be  the  Lord,  who  in  my 
extremity  came  to  my  aid,  and  placed  friends  as 
I  needed  in  my  way.  Rev.  R.  D.  Black,  of 
Franklin,  Ind.,  one  of  my  "boys"  of  old  Ohio 
University,  called  me  to  help  him  in  a  protracted 
revival  meeting,  and  this  carried  me  on  my  way 
towards  Louisville,  where  I  proposed  to  intro- 
duce my  work.  I  also  found  Brother  Frazier, 
of  the  Christian  church,  in  Franklin.  He 
was  preaching  in  Alliance,  Ohio,  when  the 
Crusade  began  there,  and  had  been  baptized 
by  it  into  a  more  earnest  devotion  to  the  tem- 
perance part  of  a  whole  Gospel  than  ever 
before,  and  had  suffered  not  a  little  because  cf  it, 
too.  But  the  Lord  was  honoring  him  here  in 
the  love  and  co-operation  of.  his  people.  I  not 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

mly  found  him  a  strong  ally  to  help  me  forward, 
but,  by  invitation  of  himself  and  people,  I  had 
the  honor  of  being  the  first  woman  to  occupy 
his  pulpit.  I  also  had  the  pleasure  of  giving  aid 
to  the  Temperance  Reform  Club,  and  held  sev- 
eral blessed  meetings ;  hall  full,  gallery  full,  entry 
crowded,  stairs  down  to  the  street  crowded,  over 
a  hundred — don't  remember  how  many — signed 
the  pledge,  and  started  on  the  upgrade  in  search 
of  their  lost  manhood. 

At  one  of  these  meetings,  an  inspiration, 
may  be  an  impulse,  seized  me.  The  platform 
was  quite  low,  and  sitting  in  front  and  near 
were  a  respectable  looking  young  couple,  with 
a  very  sweet,  little  mite  of  a  baby,  about  a  year 
old,  that  in  its  baby  restlessness  would  slip 
down  from  mamma's  lap,  and  toddle  up  to  the 
platform  and  clamber  up.  The  mother  seemed 
a  little  disturbed  lest  it  should  annoy  me,  but 
I  assured  her  it  did  not.  When  we  came  to 
call  for  signers  to  the  pledge,  I  caught  up  the 
baby  and  pinned  a  blue  ribbon  on  its  little 
shoulder,  and  holding  it  up,  appealed  to  the  crowd 
of  young  men  in  the  gallery,  on  behalf  of  the  baby, 
to  come  forward  and  sign  the  pledge  and  work 
henceforth  to  protect  this  "  daughter  of  the  regi- 
ment," and  all  others,  from  the  curse  of  rum. 

It  was  received  with  loud  applause,  and  in  a 
few  moments  the  father  arose  and  very  gravely 
came  forward  and  signed  the  pledge.  It  need 
not  be  said  that  the  mother  very  soon  followed. 
At  the  close  some  of  the  friends  came  to  me  and 


504  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

said  in  undertones,  "  Mother  Stewart,  that  was  a 
grand  victory  you  won.  That  young  man  was, 
seemingly  unawares,  drifting  into  the  whirlpool, 
though  his  friends  had  been  watching  him  with 
much  solicitude."  Praise  the  Lord,  the  baby 
saved  him. 

Another  man  signed  the  pledge  the  same  even- 
ing, who  was  so  under  the  influence  of  liquor 
that  I  felt  much  concern  lest  he  would  not  be 
able  to  keep  it.  Some  years  afterwards  I  met  a 

lady  in  G ,  in  my  own  State,  who   said  she 

lived  at  that  time  in  Franklin,  and  asked  me  if  I 
remembered  the  man  who  signed  the  pledge  for 
me  when  under  the  influence  of  liquor,  and 
added,  he  remained  steadfast,  very  soon  sought 
the  Lord  and  united  with  the  church,  and  night 
and  morning  at  the  family  altar  prayed  for  Mother 
Stewart,  and  has  taught  his  children  to  love  her 
next  to  their  Savior.  Blessed  be  the  name  of 
the  Lord  for  his  many  mercies.  I  know  I  have 
been  sustained  in  answer  to  such  prayers. 

I  was  taken  to  a  beauftiul  country  church, 
"  Mount  Hope,"  two  miles  out  of  town,  by  the 
pastor,  Rev.  Black,  Presbyterian,  a  Southern  man, 
who  had  not  before  heard  the  message  given  by 
the  mouth  of  a  woman,  and  felt  quite  sure  he  did 
not  want  to ;  it  was  not  as  he  had  read  Paul.  But 
how  thoroughly  he  indorsed  and  helped  me,  and 
we  were  able  to  open  a  grand  Gospel  Temperance 
work  in  his  church,  his  wife,  as  the  wife  of  Rev. 
R.  D.  Black,  a  helpmeet  in  the  true  sense  of  the 
word. 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE.  505 

To  Ebinburgh  for  a  few  meetings,  then,  fur- 
nished with  letters  from  Brother  Frazier  to 
Rev.  B.  B.  Tyler,  of  the  Christian  church  in 
Louisville,  and  to  Rev.  Hamilton,  of  Little  Rock, 
I  hastened  on  to  Louisville,  where  I  was  met  by 
Brother  Tyler  ;  that  royal,  good  fellow,  "Tom  " 
Demarest,  Worthy  Chief  Templar  of  the  State ; 
Mrs.  Carley,  my  life-long  friend,  and  her  daugh- 
ter, the  beautiful  Mrs.  Chess ;  Sister  Scott,  with 
other  ladies  and  gentlemen.  My  reception  was 
of  the  kind  that  makes  one  feel  that  they  are 
among  friends,  and  every  lecturer  knows  how 
much  the  reception  has  to  do  with  the  success 
of  his  work.  A  committee  was  formed  at  once. 
Brother  Tyler,  who  had  seen  just  enough  of  our 
Crusade  in  Ohio  to  make  him  enter  with  enthu- 
siasm into  my  movement,  put  his  church,  the 
First  Christian,  at  our  service,  and  by  his  un- 
bounded influence  with  his  people  they  were 
largely  enlisted. 

The  Good  Templars,  of  course,  co-operated,  as 
they  have  everywhere,  with  me.  I  feel  that  I 
have  never  in  such  fitting  words  as  the  case 
demands,  expressed  my  obligations,  my  sense  of 
gratitude,  to  my  Good  Templar  brothers  and  sis- 
ters. I  simply  can't.  I  have  not  the  words. 
Everywhere  in  my  own  country  and  across  the 
,  how  grandly  have  they  helped  and  made  the 
otherwise  impossible,  possible  for  me.  God  bless 
the  Good  Templars  !  I  shall  have  withheld  apart 
of  the  truth  if  I  fail  to  say  that  my  honored 
brother,  G.  W.  Bain,  whom  all  the  world  honors, 


506  MEMORIES    OF    THE    CRUSADE. 

had,  through  the  Good  Templars  Advocate,  years 
before  introduced  me  to  his  Southern  readers. 
He  at  once  indorsed  and  warmly  vindicated  the 
Crusade,  even  in  the  face  of  some  of  the  eminently 
pious  but  conservative  divines  who  felt  called 
upon  to  preach  and  warn  the  Southern  ladies 
against  such  unwomanly  demonstrations.  I  can- 
not forget — don't  want  to — the  warm  grasp  of 
his  hand  the  first  time  I  met  him,  as  he  exclaimed, 
"Oh,  Mother  Stewart,  my  people  in  the  South  all 
know  you ;  I  followed  you  all  through  Great  Brit- 
ain and  wrote  you  up  in  the  Advocate  "  Giant  and 
leader  of  the  platform  that  he  is  among  his  fel- 
lows in  the  great  army,  doing  such  valiant  battle 
for  humanity,  he  richly  deserves  the  renown  he 
has  won.  And  his  charming  wife,  so  timid  and 
shrinking  then,  is  to-day  the  leader  of  lit  r  enthusi- 
astic sisters  in  Kentucky. 

Here,  to  help  now,  were  Brother  "Tom" 
Demarest,  editor  of  the  Advocate,  and  Charlie 
Swift,  his  associate  editor.  The  secular  press  also 
generously  sustained  me.  We  had  wonderfully 
interesting  meetings.  Revs.  Lawson  and  Lewis, 
of  the  Methodist  Church  South,  also  put  their 
churches  at  my  service  and  gave  me  valuable 
assistance.  It  was  a  scene  that  was  too  much 
for  the  gravity  of  the  pastor  and  other  gentle- 
men, when  the  Crusader  quietly  stepped  onto 
the  platform — never  before  desecrated  by  female 
sole  leather — and  invited  her  co  workers,  the 
ladies,  to  take  seats  on  it  near  her,  while  they  sat 
demurely  in  the  congregation.  They  had  never 


MEMORIES    OF   THE   CRUSADE.  5O/ 

seen  it  on  this  fashion  before,  and  hardly  knew 
whether  they  had  fallen  upon  good  or  evil  times, 
but  hoped  that  a  new  day  might  be  dawning.  I 
said  to  myself,  What  a  grand  town  Louisville  will 
be  for  a  National  Convention!  Less  than  two 
years  from  that  time,  Louisville  entertained  the 
National  Convention  in  royal  style.  The  various 
churches  of  the  city  were  crowded  with  eager 
and  enthusiastic  audiences,  to  hear  Miss  Willard, 
Ellen  Foster  and  others. 

\Ve  formed  the  first  union,  with  Mrs.  Chris- 
topher as  President,  and  she  with  other  ladies 
formed  a  second  union  in  Portland.  These  ladies 
at  once  went  to  work  with  good  methods  and 
zeal,  to  advance  the  women's  work  in  their  city. 
I  must  not  forget  to  say  that  I  had  only  entered 
upon  my  work,  when  a  telegram  came  from 
Brother  Hamilton,  of  the  Christian  church  at  Lit- 
tle Rock,  Arkansas,  to  Brother  Tyler,  saying, 
''Come,  bring  your  wife  and  Mother  Stewart. 
Our  State  Temperance  Association  is  in  session 
and  I  have  advertised  Mother  Stewart  for  Sab- 
bath, at  my  church."  Oh,  dear,  what  could  I 
do?  I  hastily  called  a  council  of  some  of  the 
friends.  Was  it  possible  ?  There  was  a  door 
already  swung  wide  open  way  in  the  Southwest. 
I  would  came  back.  But  the  decision  was*  that 
it  could  not  be.  I  was  already  advertised  for 
the  Sabbath  in  Louisville,  and  a  disappointment 
would  be  fatal  to  my  work.  Did  you  ever  see  a 
naughty  child  yield  just  because  it  had  to,  and 
could  not  help  itself?  \Vliy  couldn't  I  be  in  two 


5O8  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

places  at  once,  just  for  that  occasion?  I  learned 
afterwards  that  I  had  personal  friends  in  Little 
Rock,  who  went  to  trains  and  hotels  hunting  me. 

I  must  not  leave  Louisville  without  mentioning 
a  very  happy  incident,  though  I  give  it  in  my 
English  experiences.  At  one  of  my  meetings 
in  Portland,  or  West  Louisville,  a  lady  was  intro- 
duced to  me  as  the  mother  of  a  gentleman  who 
was  a  fellow  voyager  when  I  crossed  the  ocean. 
Why,  who  in  the  world?  "Alf.  Mullett's 
mother  !  "  The  mother  of  that  great,  big-hearted 
man  who  had  taken  charge  of  me,  as  if  I  had 
indeed  been  that  refined  gentlewoman  before 
me.  And  had  told  her,  upon  his  return,  so  much 
about  Mother  Stewart,  that,  having  just  arrived 
from  her  home  in  Washington  to  visit  another 
son,  and  hearing  that  I  was  in  the  city,  had  come 
from  the  east  end  of  the  city  to  see  and  make  the 
acquaintance  of  Alf.  's  Mother  Stewart.  I  was 
invited  to  her  son's  to  dinner,  and  so  had  the 
happy  aftermath  to  my  acquaintance  with  my 
always  affectionately  remembered  fellow  traveler. 

My  next  point,  working  my  way  with  meetings 
in  my  own  State,  was  Chattanooga,  Tenn.,  where 
our  son  Theodore  resides,  and  here  was  Rev.  S. 
Tinker,  of  the  M.  E.  church,  ready  to  assist 
me,  first  insisting  upon  my  helping  him  in  his 
revival  meeting  that  was  in  progress.  Our  au- 
diences were  large  and  the  interest  very  manifest. 
If  many  came  out  of  curiosity  to  hear  "a  woman 
preach,"  a  few  at  least  remained  to  pray.  By 
invitation,  I  met  the  ministers  in  their  Monday 


MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE.  509 

morning  conference  meeting,  where  they  made 
me  welcome  and  manifested  much  interest  in  my 
mission,  and  pledged  themselves  to  support  me 
and  to  bring  the  subject  before  the  ladies  of 
their  respective  churches,  and  to  arrange  for  a 
meeting  with  the  ladies  on  my  return.  The  city 
editors  very  kindly  requested  me  to  let  them 
know  in  what  way  they  could  serve  me,  and  gave 
me  most  flattering  notices. 


CHAPTER    XXIII. 


Atlanta,    Macon,     Chattanooga,    Bloody    Copiah, 
Retrospection  and  Summing  Up. 


HE  next  town  visited  was  Atlanta,  Ga., 
which  has  since  come  to  be  known  the 
world  over  for  its  great  battle,  two  years 
ago,  and  victory  for  local  option,  and  its  more 
recent  defeat  on  the  same  issue.  I  was  here 
welcomed  by  those  faithful  and  true  workers, 
J.  G.  Thrower,  Worthy  Chief  Secretary  of  Good 
Templars  of  the  State,  and  his  excellent  wife, 
who  took  me  to  their  hospitable  home,  and  aided 
me  in  every  way  in  their  power  in  introducing 
my  work. 

I  have  elsewhere  referred  to  the  aid  that  our 
Good  Templar  friends  have  always  been  so  ready 
to  give,  but  I  fear  our  sisters  have  not  known  of 
or  appreciated  their  services  at  their  true  value. 
And  I  will  take  this  occasion  to  add  that  I  am 
also  under  many  obligations  to  the  Sons  of  Tem- 
perance and  the  National  Temperance  Associa- 
tion, to  whose  Secretary,  my  valued  friend,  J.  N. 
Stearns,  I  an  a  bankrupt  debtor  for  his  unswerv- 
ing and  alwavs  helpful  kindness,  through  all  the 
years  of  my  labors. 

510 


MEMORIES   OF   THE    CRUSADE.  $11 

As  I  sat  in  my  room  the  next  morning  after 
my  arrival,  in  deep  thought  and  not  a  little  solic- 
itous as  to  the  success  of  my  visit  to  these  very 
conservative  ladies,  and  wondering  if  Christian 
people,  and  especially  the  ministers,  could  be 
enlisted,  a  carriage  drove  to  the  door  and  two 
ladies  entered,  one  bearing  a  great  tea-tray 
banked  up  with  such  gorgeous  roses,  lilies,  pinks, 
jessamine,  mignonnette,  etc.,  as  are  to  be  found 
only  in  that  Southern  clime,  a  token  of  welcome, 
brought  by  that  charming  little  woman,  Mrs. 
Edw.  M.  Hammond,  author  of  Georgia  Sketclies, 
that  had  recently  attracted  so  much  attention  in 
the  New  York  Tribune.  How  my  heart  leaped  and 
how  the  tears  wanted  to  help  give  expression  to 
my  feelings  for  such  unlooked-for  kindness! 
Mrs.  Hammond  was  an  earnest,  active  Christian 
as  well  as  a  lady,  who  had  already  acquired 
quite  a  reputation  as  a  literary  writer.  Her 
husband,  son  of  Judge  Hammond,  of  the  city, 
was  a  rising  young  lawyer,  devoted  to  his  wife, 
as  well  he  might  be,  and  ready  to  assist  her 
in  all  her  benevolent  movements.  I  found  them 
my  strong  and  efficient  supporters.  I  have  taken 
a  latitude  in  speaking  of  my  dearly  loved  friend, 
as  I  feel  sure  she  from  her  modesty  would  not 
have  permitted  if  living,  but  she  has  long  since 
gone  to  join  the  angels,  her  beautiful  life  cut  off 
just  as  she  had  entered  upon  what  gave  such  rich 
promise  of  usefulness.  And  so  has  that  other 
dearly  beloved  sister,  Mrs.  Howes,  after  many 
years  of  devotion  to  her  Master's  cause,  passed 


5  12  MEMORIES  OF  THE    CRUSADE. 

over  to  her  reward.  How  wise,  how  sympathetic, 
were  these  two  ladies,  and  how  valuable  their 
assistance.  While  the  tears  will  fall  as  I  write, 
I  am  comforted  with  the  assurance  that  they, 
with  so  many  of  the  dear  ones  who  have  gone 
on  before,  are  waiting  and  watching  at  the  beau- 
tiful gate  for  me.  Not  many  days  hence  we  will 
clasp  hands  again,  on  the  evergreen  shore. 

Yes,  one  minister,  Rev.  Virgil  Norcross,  Mrs. 
Howes'  son-in-law,  called  to  say  that  his  con- 
gregation of  the  Second  Baptist,  had  requested 
him  to  convey  to  me  an  invitation  to  address 
them  on  Sabbath  evening. 

My  first  reception  was  tendered  me  by  Mrs. 
Thrower's  Winona  Lodge  of  Cold  Water  Temp- 
lars, of  which  Mrs.  Thrower  had  been  superin- 
tendent for  ten  years.  She  had  already  sent  out 
many  young  men  whom  she  had  trained  in  that 
Juvenile  Lodge,  with  the  principles  of  total 
abstinence  firmly  engrafted  on  their  characters. 
That  reception  is  among  the  dearest  memories 
of  my  Southern  work.  The  ceremonies  are 
quite  similar  to  those  of  Good  Templary.  I  was 
taken  into  the  ante-room,  to  wait  while  Sister 
Thrower  opened  the  Lodge,  and  they  transacted 
the  necessary  business. 

When  they  were  ready  to  receive  me,  the 
Worthy  Marshal,  a  young  gentleman,  possibly 
eleven  years  old,  small  even  for  that  age,  came 
and  offered  me  his  arm,  and  escorted  me  into  the 
hall  and  in  front  of  the  Worthy  Chiefs  desk,  and 
in  a  neat  little  speech  presented  the  visitor,  with 


MEMORIES  OF  THE    CRUSADE.  513 

all  the  dignity  and  gravity  of  a  judge,  to  the 
Worthy  Chief.  That  dignitary,  who  may  have 
been  fourteen,  in  appropriate  language,  delivered 
a  welcoming  address,  and  the  Marshal  was 
instructed  to  escort  me  to  the  platform — and — / 
sat  -down — and — cried. 

A  part  of  the  exercises  of  this  meeting  was  the 
induction  of  a  new  member.  This  was  a  little 
miss  of  nine  summers,  to  whom,  of  course,  the 
ceremony  was  entirely  new,  yet  she  performed 
her  part  with  the  utmost  decorum.  I  never  saw 
any  lodge  of  grown  people  go  through  the  va- 
rious exercises  of  the  lodge  room  with  more 
precision  and  seriousness  than  did  these  young 
people.  To  add  to  the  ordeal,  the  officers  had 
recently  been  elected,  and  this  was  the  first  time 
they  had  served.  After  several  speeches,  a  name 
was  called  with  request  for  a  speech,  when  a 
large  man  of  English  type  arose  in  the  back  part 
of  the  hall,  so  full  of  emotion  that  he  could 
hardly  command  himself  enough  to  speak,  but 
exclaimed,  while  the  tears  flowed  down  his  rug- 
ged cheeks,  pointing  to  the  Chief,  "Oh!  if  I 
could  only  have  my  way,  I  would  say  to  my  boy, 
Stay  there  forever.  If  I  could  only  have  had  the 
opportunities  my  children  have,  I  might  have 
been  a  very  different  man.  But  my  father  was 
a  drunkard,  and  through  the  drink  he  ruined 
himself  and  ruined  his  family,  and  I  followed  in 
his  footsteps.  But  thank  God,  through  the 
prayers  of  dear  friends  I  am  to-day  a  saved  man, 

(33) 


514  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

and  my   feet  are  planted  on  the  Rock,  Christ 
Jesus. " 

When  I  read,  with  so  much  interest,  two  years 
ago,  of  the  one  thousand  young  men  that  march- 
ed the  streets  of  Atlanta,  and  helped  to  win 
that  glorious  victory  over  the  saloons,  I  remem- 
bered my  young  friends  of  Winona  Lodge  and 
felt  sure  that  Mrs.  Thrower  and  her  Cold  Water 
army  held  a  place  of  honor  on  that  battle  field. 

I  cannot  take  leave  of  my  young  friends  with- 
out giving  the  following,  which  was  told  me  as 
taking  place  a  short  time  before:  A  commercial 
traveler  from  Philadelphia  arrived  in  the  city  on 
Saturday  evening  and  put  up  at  the  Kimble 
House.  On  Sabbath  morning  he  felt,  as  usual, 
the  need  of  his  morning  dram,  and  sought  the 
bar,  but  it  was  closed.  He  went  out  onto  the 
street  to  find  an  open  bar,  but  not  one  was  to  be 
found  in  the  whole  city.  What  did  it  mean? 
Why,  those  wicked  rebels  did  really  make  a 
show  of  more  reverence  for  God's  holy  day  than 
we  of  the  North  are  doing. 

Had  to  do  without  his  accustomed  dram,  poor 
man.  He  picked  up  his  paper  and  in  looking 
over  it  noticed  the  announcement  of  Winona 
Lodge,  at  Good  Templar's  Hall,  at  three  o'clock. 
What  was  that?  For  lack  of  anything  else  to  do 
he  concluded  he  would  go  and  see.  He  witnessed 
those  children's  exercises  and  became  strangely 
interested.  And  when  they  called  for  signers  to 
the  pledge  he  went  up  and  signed,  and  some  little 
fingers  pinned  on  the  blue  ribbon,  and  he  went 
forth  a  pledged  abstainer. 


MEMORIES   OF   THfc   CRUSADE.  515 

My  first  public  meeting  was  held  in  the  Trinity 
Methodist,  Dr.  Right's  church, on  the  same  Sab- 
bath, at  4:30.  Governor  Colquitt  had  been 
engaged  to  preside,  and  introduce  me,  but  being 
unexpectedly  called  from  the  city,  he  sent  his 
"next  best  man,"  Professor  Lumpkin,  in  his 
stead.  Before  me  is  the  report  of  this  meeting, 
as  given  next  day  by  the  Atlanta  Constitution. 

It  tells  of  the  very  fine  and  intelligent  audience, 
and  speaks  of  her  who  had  come  to  their  city  to 
commend  the  W.  C.  T.  U.  and  its  work  to 
the  Southern  ladies,  in  very  kind  and  flattering 
terms. 

Mrs.  Gov.  Colquitt  was  unanimously  elected 
Honorary  President  of  the  first  Woman's  Chris- 
tian Temperance  Union,  of  Georgia,  and  in  the 
full  list  of  officers  before  me  I  find  Mrs.  Dr. 
K.  Q.  Fuller,  Acting  President;  Mrs.  Judge 
Hammond,  First  Vice- President ;  also  a  promi- 
nent mcjnbcr  from  each  of  the  fourteen  churches 
and  the  several  Temperance  lodges  as  Vice- 
idcnts.  Mrs.  E.  M.  Hammond,  Rec.  Sec. 
and  Treasurer ;  Mrs.  M.  E.  Osborn,  Cor.  Secre- 
tary. 

Something  over  two  hundred  names  were 
given  at  our  first  meeting,  to  our  Union,  and  at 
Brother  Norcross'  church  over  one  hundred 
more  gave  their  names.  I  nowhere  ever  formed 
a  Union  of  more  competent  and  earnest  women. 
"We  can  state,"  says  the  reporter,  "that  the 
movement  has  among  its  leaders  some  of  the 
first  Christian  ladies  of  the  city. "  Mrs.  Colquitt 


516  MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

very  kindly  threw  open  the  drawing  rooms  of 
the  Executive  Mansion  for  our  conference  meet* 
ings.  Dr.  Hight  was  absent  in  Savannah,  helping 
the  pastor  of  that  city  in  a  revival  meeting.  But 
on  the  following  Sabbath  he  was  in  his  pulpit, 
and  in  such  precious  words  of  commendation 
indorsed  the  work  and  the  worker  that  my  heart 
was  greatly  cheered,  and  I  cherish  the  memory 
slill. 

On  this  same  Sabbath  evening  Brother  Nor- 
cross  took  me  to  his  church,  where  we  had  a 
crowded  house.  At  the  close  of  my  address,  we 
called  upon  any  who  wished  the  prayers  of 
Christians  to  arise,  and  fifteen  or  twenty  respect- 
able appearing  young  men  arose  to  their  feet. 

In  a  letter  to  the  New  York  Tribune  my  little 
friend,  Mrs.  Hammond,  spoke  of  this  meeting 
and  gave  this  incident:  "A  poor  woman  had 
long  prayed  for  her  husband,  that  he  might  be 
saved  from  his  appetite  for  strong  drink,  but  had 
become  discouraged.  He  could  not  be  induced 
to  go  to  church,  and  the  case  looked  so  hopeless 
that  she  had  quit  praying  for  him.  But  when 
Mother  Stewart  came  she  picked  up  heart  again. 
He  went  to  hear  Mother  Stewart  and  signed  the 
pledge.  And  it  was  not  long  after  that  he 
sought  and  found  Jesus,  united  with  the  church, 
and  is  now  providing  bountifully  for  a  happy 
family/'  In  closing,  she  said,  "Is  not  this  worth 
living  or  dying  for  ?  "  And  I  said,  as  I  read  it 
through  my  tears,  ' '  Amen,  worth  living  or  dying 
for." 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADK. 

I  was  taken  by  Brother  Thrower  to  the  Storrs' 
Institute  for  the  colored  people,  and  addressed 
several  meetings,  and  formed  a  W.  C.  T.  U., 
that  devoted  Christian  teacher  in  the  Institute, 
Miss  Lizzie  Stevens,  being  made  President.  The 
other  officers  were  colored  students  or  graduates, 
and  seemed  to  be  as  competent  for  their  respec- 
tive duties  as  any  white  ladies.  This  was  the 
first  colored  W.  C.  T.  U.  formed  in  the  South. 

I  respected  the  conservative  feelings  of  the 
ladies,  and  their  prejudices  against  our  Crusade, 
so  much  as  not  to  refer  to  it  until  they  finally 
asked  me  to  tell  them  about  it  in  one  of  our 
social  conferences.  How  glad  I  was  of  the 
privilege  and  as  I  talked  they  sat  and  wiped  the 
fast  falling  tears,  and  insisted  upon  my  telling 
them  more,  more.  And  I  remember,  too,  that  in 
a  conversation  with  two  of  the  most  intelligent 
ladies  on  the  great  problem  of  how  to  overcome 
the  liquor  power,  one  of  them  remarked  that  she 
believed  in  giving  the  women  the  right  to  vote  it 
out,  but  because  of  the  bitter  prejudice  on  the 
subject  she  thought  it  best  not  to  express  her 
views.  The  other  lady  responded,  "and  so  do  I. " 

As  a  sample  of  the  practical  methods  of  work 
entered  upon  by  the  ladies  at  once,  I  give  the 
following  circular  that  was  distributed  every- 
where ;  in  the  stores^  for  merchants  to  put  in 
packages  of  goods,  on  the  seats  of  street  cars, 
and  on  rail  coaches  going  out  of  the  city : 


5i8  MEMORIES  OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

TO  ARRAY    OUR  ENTIRE    SEX  AGAINST  THE   SALE  AND 
USE  OF  INTOXICATING  LIQUORS; 

To  create  a  universal  and  moral  sentiment  against  the 
same,  and  in  favor  of  sobriety,  total  abstinence,  and 
virtue;  to  impress  upon  the  YOUTH  of  our  day  the 
GUILT  of  selling  intoxicating  liquors,  to  be  used  as  a 
beverage,  and  the  laial  danger  as  well  as  GUILT  of 
drinking  them,  and  to  inculcate  positve  sentiments 
and  principles  against  both,  as  a  preparation  for  the 
temptations  and  responsibilities  of  iuture  manhood 
and  womanhood  ;  and  to  endeavor  to  aid  and  elevate 
the  inebriate,  his  children  and  family,  and  throw 
around  them  sympathetic  and  Christian  influences, 
the  Woman's  Christian  Temperance  Union,  of 
Atlanta,  will  religiously  employ  all  the  means  God 
places  within  its  reach ! 

As  I  have  said  in  regard  to  the  "Cold  Water  " 
army,  so,  I  feel  certain,  to  the  faithful,  energetic 
and  practical  work  of  the  W.  C.  T.  Union  of 
Atlanta  is  largely  due  the  victory  in  that  contest 
at  the  ballot-box  with  the  liquor  men.  And  if 
the  Christian  women  could  have  had  the  same 
privilege  that  was  given  to  the  keeper  of  the  lowest 
doggery  in  the  city,  or  to  the  lowest,  vilest, 
drunken  sot,  black  or  white,  Atlanta  would  in 
the  election  of  1887  have  maintained  the  immor- 
tal renown  she  so  gloriously  won  two  years 
before,  as  "the  first  prohibition  city  of  its  size 
in  the  world." 

While  nearly  all  the  ministers  in  the  city 
indorsed  our  work — even  some  of  those  "South- 
ern Brigadiers,"  occupying  churches  at  that 
time,  invited  me  to  unite  with  them  in  their  revi- 
val meetings,  I  am  obliged,  in  the  interest  of  truth, 
to  mention  an  exception,  though  with  the  deepest 


MEMORIES  OF   THE   CRUSADZ.  $19 

sadness.  There  was  one  church  having  two 
congregations  in  Atlanta  that  did  not  indorse 
my  work,  disapproved  of  it.  Which,  however, 
was  not  unlike  the  attitude  of  that  church, 
North  as  well  as  South,  with  rare,  though 
blessed  exceptions.  I  remember  that  a  lady 
belonging  to  one  of  these  churches,  who  was 
noted  for  her  piety  and  active  Christian  work, 
gave  us  her  name  and  we  hoped  much  from  her 
aid  and  influence.  But  it  was  not  long  till 
she  withdrew;  her  pastor  did  not  approve  of 
such  work  for  women.  In  the  other  charge  of 
the  same  denomination  the  ladies  were  very  busy 
preparing  for  a  spectacular  entertainment,  '  'Par- 
adise and  the  Peri,"  to  be  given  for  the  benefit  of 
their  church.  Something  like  a  dozen  young  ladies 
of  prominence  were  engaged  to  appear  on  the  stage 
in  special  costume.  It  was  attracting  much  inter- 
est, and  they  were  expecting  a  large  audience  of 
the  elite  of  the  city,  and  a  handsome  sum  as  the 
result  for  their  church.  I  did  not  hear  that  either 
of  the  rectors  expressed  any  disapproval  of  ladies 
appearing  in  public  under  such  circumstances. 
And  I  am  not  expressing  any  opinion  of  my 
own,  am  only  narrating  a  fact.  I  h;id  gone  on 
farther  South  when  the  first  matinee,  or  rather 
afternoon  rehearsal,  was  to  take  place  preparatory 
to  the  public  entertainment.  The  ladies  were 
enveloped  in  ample,  flowing  robes  of  white  tar- 
latan, with  wings  of  cotton  batting  standing  up 
from  the  shoulders  to  represent  angels.  As  they 
inoved  about  in  the  robing-room  back  of  the 


52O  MEMORIES   OF   THE    CRUSADE. 

stage,  the  wing  of  one  of  the  ladies  swept  a  gas 
jet  that  was  burning.  The  heart-sickening  details 
of  what  followed  in  a  moment,  as  given  by  a 
reporter  who  was  a  witness,  is  at  my  hand,  but 
too  horrible  to  repeat  here.  The  whole  city  was 
plunged  in  gloom  by  the  terrible  tragedy.  Before 
my  return  one  or  two  of  those  ladies  had  already 
been  laid  in  the  grave,  while  several  others  will 
carry  the  scars  and  shock  of  that  fearful  experi- 
ence while  they  live,  as  will  several  gentlemen 
who  heroically  rushed  to  their  rescue  at  the  risk 
of  their  own  lives. 

After  taking  leave  of  the  Atlanta  Union,  the 
following  letter  was,  without  solicitation,  for- 
warded to  me: 

ATLANTA,  GA.,  April  30,  1880. 

DEAR  MOTHER  STEWART  : — We  wish  that  we  could 
go  with  you  through  Georgia  and  urge  other  women 
to  arouse  to  help  you  in  your  good  work  amongst  us. 
It  has  occurred  to  us  to  send  after  you  this,  our  ear- 
nest endorsement  of  your  efforts,  and  the  expression 
of  our  warmest  sympathy  and  fullest  confidence,  and 
the  few  of  us  who  can  conveniently  meet  to-day  send 
this,  trusting  that  they  may  be  trusted  as  speaking 
for  the  Woman's  Christian  Temperance  Union  of 
Atlanta  and  the  ladies  of  the  city  in  general,  although 
we  have  taken  no  time  to  seek  signatures  to  this 
paper.  We  commend  you  to  all  our  friends  in  this 
and  other  Southern  States,  and  to  Christian  men  and 
women  everywhere,  and  we  hold  you  in  grateful  re- 
membrance for  the  good  seed  sown  in  our  society 
here. 

Cordially  yours,     MRS.  A.  H.  COLQUITT. 

MRS.  M.  E.  HOWES. 

MRS.  E.  M.   HAMMOND. 

MRS.  B.  Y.  SAGE. 

MRS.  D.  H.  SELLS. 

MRS.  M.  E.  OSBURN. 


MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

My  next  point  was  Griffith,  where  I  was  again 
warmly  welcomed  by  Mr.  Geo.  R.  Niles  and 
others.  But  my  spirits,  in  spite  of  it  all,  were 
alarmingly  running  down  as  I  sat  in  my  room 
alone,  realizing  the  greatness  of  my  undertaking 
and  fearing  that  the  dear  women,  remembering 
all  they  had  suffered — and  I  could  see  too  plainly 
everywhere  what  the  terrible  conflict  had  cost 
them — would  not  feel  that  they  could  co-operate 
with  one  whose  people  were  responsible,  as  they 
claimed,  for  the  ruin  of  their  country,  when  a 
servant  entered  with  such  a  beautiful  tray  of 
those  sweet  Southern  flowers.  (  I  wonder  how 
the  ladies  could  know  that  nothing  could  touch 
my  heart  as  those  delicate  tokens  of  welcome 
and  hospitality.  )  On  the  top  of  the  flowers  lay 
this  card  that  I  love  to  look  at  as  I  write: 

To  Mother  Stewart, 

With  compliments  of 

Mrs.  Wm.  R.  Hanleiter. 

How  soon  were  my  anxiety  and  home-sick- 
ness dispelled.  Dr.  Kendal,  of  the  Methodist 
Church,  called  on  me  at  once,  and  bade  me 
welcome,  and  though  in  the  midst  of  a  protracted 
meeting,  he  introduced  me  and  my  work  to  his 
people,  saying:  "This  is  just  what  I  have 
been  praying  for."  Our  meetings  were  well 
attended,  and  by  the  Doctor's  urgent  request  I 
remained  a  week  longer  than  I  had  intended. 

Rev.  Mr.  Mundy,  of  the  Baptist  Church,  also 
took  me  into  his  pulpit,  and  pledged  himself  and 


522  MEMORIES  OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

people  to  my  work.  We  formed  a  Union, 
making  Mrs.  Judge  Stark,  President.  The  re- 
vival work  in  Dr.  Kendal's  church  went  on  after 
I  left,  and  many  souls  were  gathered  in. 

At  Macon  I  found  Mrs.  Angela  C.  Davis, 
formerly  one  of  our  most  enthusiastic  Crusaders, 
arid  who  has  since  made  for  herself  a  record  as 
a  very  popular  lecturer.  She  had  prepared  the 
way  for  me,  and  Dr.  Key  put  his  church  at  my 
service  and  gave  me  valuable  assistance,  he,  too, 
saying,  ' '  This  work  is  just  what  I  have  been  pray- 
ing for."  We  organized  a  Union,  making  Mrs. 
Dr.  Key,  President,  and  Mrs.  Davis,  Secretary. 

My  health  began  to  fail  me  now,  and  I  found 
it  necessary  to  turn  my  face  towards  home.  But 
I  stopped  at  Forsyth  and  held  a  series  of  meet- 
ings, with  the  aid  of  Rev.  J.  D.  Hammond,  Dr. 
Moore,  and  other  gentlemen  and  ladies.  Brother 
Hammond  was  another  son  of  Judge  Hammond, 
of  Atlanta.  He  was  a  scholarly  man  and  an 
earnest,  devoted  minister.  If  half  the  labors  and 
sacrifices,  with  meagre  salaries,  of  those  southern 
ministers,  after  the  war  had  swept  over  the 
country  with  its  blasting  and  mildew,  could  ever 
be  told,  it  would  make  a  wonderfully  pathetic 
and  touching  story.  In  referring  to  the  two 
divisions  of  the  Methodist  Church,  Brother 
Hammond  said  he  should  never  cease  to  feel 
glad  that  a  three-years'  sojourn  in  a  Northern 
college  and  association  with  Northern  Metho- 
dists, had  proven  to  him  that  Methodism, 
whether  North  or  South,  was  one  and  the  same. 


MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 


5-3 


I  was  growing  so  ill  that  I  could  only  go  to 
the  church  and  deliver  my  address,  and  then, 
leaving  the  meeting  in  the  hands  of  the  friends, 
hasten  to  my  room,  fall  on  my  bed  and  lie  there 
till  the  next  meeting.  We  formed  a  Union, 
with  Mrs.  Col.  Adams  as  President. 

On  the  evening  of  my  last  meeting  I  noticed 
a  very  respectable  audience  of  colored  people  in 
the  gallery,  and  expressed  my  regret  that  I 
should  not  be  able  to  give  the  colored  people  a 
meeting,  as  I  had  so  much  desired  to.  In  a  few 
moments  a  very  neatly  written  note  was  sent 
down,  thanking  me  for  my  interest  in  them  and 
expressing  their  sympathy  in  my  work. 

The  next  morning  a  lady  came  to  the  depot 
as  I  \vas  about  to  leave,  saying  she  could  not 
let  me  go  without  coming  to  ask  me  if  some- 
thing could  not  be  done  for  the  colored  people. 
They  were,  she  said,  being  ruined  by  the  drink. 
Only  a  day  or  two  before,  as  she  passed  a 
grocery,  she  saw  the  keeper  literally  kick  a 
colored  woman,  who  was  drunk,  out  into  the 
street,  and  she  fell  prone  on  the  ground.  I 
turned  to  Brothers  Hammond  and  Moore  and 
they  assured  me  they  would  at  once  take  the 
matter  in  hand,  and  they  did.  In  connection 
with  some  colored  Good  Templars  they  called  a 
meeting  and  organized  a  Temperance  Associa- 
tion, and  in  reporting  the  work,  Brother  H.  said 
the  colored  organization  was  working  with  more 
enthusiasm  than  the  white  Unign. 

If  the  pretended  friend  of  the  colored   man 


524  MEMORIES   OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

would  take  half  the  pains  to  wipe  out  his  dead- 
liest foe  that  he  does  to  secure  his  vote  for 
"the  party,"  he  would  prove  his  sincerity  by 
helping  him  up  into  a  better  life  and  at  the  same 
time  make  a  better  citizen  of  him. 

If  the  Southern  politicians  will  stop  long 
enough  to  seriously  consider  this  momentous 
question  of  the  colored  vote,  instead  of  forever 
seeking  to  defraud  him  out  of  his  right  as  a  citizen, 
he  will  see  that  the  only  solution  of  the  whole 
matter  is  to  wipe  out  the  liquor  traffic  and  give 
the  colored  man  such  educational  facilities  as  shall 
make  intelligent,  thinking  men  instead  of  igno- 
rant, debased,  half  human,  half  animal  beings, 
that  must  be  a  continual  source  of  solicitude,  a 
heavy  tax,  and  a  menace  to  the  community  and 
the  State.  When  will  the  men  of  this  nation 
learn  wisdom?  The  women  of  the  W.  C.  T. 
U.,  North  and  South,  have  long  since  accepted 
this  principle  and  as  far  as  is  in  their  power  are 
acting  upon  it. 

It  was  a  source  of  inexpressible  grief  to  me 
that  I  was  obliged  to  abandon  that  interesting 
field  just  as  the  work  was  opening  up  with  such 
hopeful  outlook.  But  while  I  lamented  sorely 
that  I  could  not  have  gone  on,  I  felt  that  I 
could  afford  to  be  sick  for  a  season  for  the  sake 
of  what  my  Heavenly  Father  had  enabled  me 
to  do. 

I  stopped  at  Chattanooga  only  long  enough 
to  meet  the  ladies,  as  previously  arranged  by  the 
pastors.  We  organized  a  Union,  making  Mrs. 


MEMORIES   OF  THE    CRUSADE.  525 

Loomis,  President, and  Miss  Kate  Lyle, Secretary. 
But  I  was  obliged  to  leave  them  without  giving 
the  necessary  instruction  how  to  proceed  with  and 
carry  on  their  work.  The  consequence  was  that 
they  abandoned  their  organization,  but  I  am 
happy  to  say  a  Union  was  long  since  formed 
under  more  favorable  circumstances,  that  has 
been  doing  a  blessed  work.  What  a  glorious 
record  they,  with  the  ladies  all  over  the  State, 
made  in  the  campaign  for  Prohibition  last  fall 
(1887).  Ah!  Sisters,  well-beloved;  if  you  had 
been  armed  with  the  citizen's  weapon  on  that 
day  of  desperate  battle  with  the  combined  liquor 
power,  North  and  South,  you  would  have  stood 
victors  when  the  day  was  done. 

I  recalled  other  engagements  and  after  our 
meeting  took  the  next  train  for  home. 

Out  of  the  many  cheering  letters  that  came  to 
me  from  all  parts  of  the  South,  I  cannot  do  more 
than  give  extracts  of  the  more  important. 

Two  of  my  Committee,  Sisters  Chase  and 
Clardy,  reported  from  Arkansas.  They  were  ear- 
nestly at  work  and  accomplishing  great  good. 
Sister  Chase,  with  her  husband,  had  for  many 
years  been  conducting  an  educational  institution 
for  the  colored  people  at  Helena,  but  not  confining 
her  labors  to  the  college,  she  was  traveling, 
lecturing,  preaching  and  stirring  the  people  upon 
the  all-important  temperance  question,  organiz- 
ing, and  out  of  her  own  means  circulating  large 
amounts  of  literature.  Sister  Clardy  giving  her 
whole  time,  seeking  opportunities,  and  finding 


526  MEMORIES   OF   THE    CRUSADE. 

them,  too,  to  present  her  cause  to  educational, 
religious  and  political  gatherings.  In  her  report 
she  says :  ' '  I  attended  the  State  Teacher's 
Association  and  had  our  Training  School  for 
Cookery  and  Temperance  Text-book  for  Public 
Schools,  referred  to  the  Executive  Committee.  I 
also  attended  the  Convention  of  United  Friends  of 
Temperance,  July  I5th,  near  Hot  Springs,  and 
made  two  addresses.  I  was  present  at  the 
Democratic  barbecue  at  Prescott,  August  I2th, 
and  was  allowed  twenty  minutes  to  address  three 
thousand  people  on  the  blessed  cause,  being 
introduced  by  the  Methodist  minister.  On 
August  1 4th,  at  the  same  place,  I  had  a  similar 
opportunity  at  an  immense  Greenback  bar- 
becue." She  reports  seven  W.  C.  T.  Unions 
formed,  sixteen  weeks  of  incessant  work  in  the 
heat  of  summer,  less  than  a  hundred  dollars 
received,  nearly  every  cent,  of  which  she  paid 
for  traveling  expenses,  stationery,  literature,  etc. 
Sister  Chase's  report  was  similar  in  labors  and 
results. 

How  cheering  were  the  letters  of  these  dear 
sisters,  also  those  of  Sister  Jennie  Smith,  though 
busy  in  her  own  special  work  as  evangelist  for 
the  railroad  operatives  and  their  families,  and 
she  and  her  colleague,  Ada  Sherman,  have  been 
busy  ever  since,  and  have  been  the  blessed 
instruments  in  the  salvation  of  thousands.  I 
found  Sister  Abba  Munroe  in  Mt.  Pleasant,  near 
Charleston,  S.  C.,  where  she  had  been  for  twelve 
long  years  at  her  post,  faithfully  training  those 


MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE.  527 

poor,  ignorant,  neglected  colored  people,  and 
fitting  them  for  citizenship  and  for  the  Master's 
use.  She  explained  what  I  was  well  aware  of, 
that  her  position  as  a  teacher  of  the  colored 
people  precluded  any  possibility  of  her  helping 
me  among  the  white  ladies. 

Read  her  report  in  a  paragraph  :  "My  warmest 
sympathies  are  with  you,  and  be  assured,  any- 
thing I  can  I  will  gladly  do,  but  my  duties  keep 
me  constantly  employed.  I  am  principal  of  a 
day  school  and  superintendent  of  a  Sabbath- 
school.  During  the  season  we  succeeded  in 
bringing  to  consummation  the  building  and  dedi- 
cation of  a  small  chapel  for  the  little  church  with 
which  I  worship,  and  the  care  of  it  all,  from  the 
driving  of  the  first  to  the  last  nail,  devolved  on 
me,  and  it  was  a  great  tax  upon  my  time,  though 
an  untold  pleasure  to  witness  the  delight  of  the 
people  at  the  rea'ization  of  their  cherished  hopes. 
We  started  a  Band  of  Hope  last  winter  among 
the  children  and  young  people,  and  this,  of 
course,  absorbed  a  great  deal  of  my  time." 

This  is  one  of  New  England's  educated  and 
refined  Christian  daughters.  Here  is  her  photo- 
graph before  me,  conveying  the  idea  of  a  bril- 
liant, magnificent  woman, — or  it  would,  if  she 
-e  found  in  fashionable  society,  instead  of  in 
the  position  of  a  despised  teacher  of  colond 
people.  Of  such  the  world  is  not  worthy,  but 
1  cuire  not  trust  my  pen  lest  it  shall  say  some 
bitter  things.  I  hope  and  trust  that  the  W.  C. 
T.  U.,  North  and  South,  will  utter  their  em- 


52$  MEMORIES  OF   THE   CRUSADE. 

phatic  protest  against  such  silly,  such  wicked 
ostracism  of  the  most  self-sacrificing  missiona- 
ries in  the  world. 

Another  such,  though  not  of  my  committee, 
Miss  Ufford,  near  Concord,  N.  C,  wrote:  "I 
should  very  much  like  to  form  a  prayer  union, 
but  my  time  is  now  nearly  all  occupied  with 
teaching  the  children.  Then,  I  have  a  Sunday- 
school  to  conduct  on  Sabbath  morning,  a  prayer- 
meeting  in  the  evening,  and  a  meeting  on 
Wednesday  evening."  Besides  these,  she  had 
organized  and  was  superintending  a  live  Band  of 
Hope,  and  was  doing  what  she  could  for  temper- 
ance among  the  men  and  women.  Why  did 
not  some  one  quote  Paul's  injunction  to  these 
elect  ladies  ?  ' '  Let  your  women  keep  silence  in 
the  churches." 

One  lady  wrote  me  from  Mississippi :  "When 
I  saw  your  circular  in  the  Vicksburg  Herald,  I 
was  so  struck  with  the  magnanimity  of  the 
Northern  people  that  I  was  stimulated  to  make 
another  effort  in  the  temperance  cause,  although 
I  had  seen  enough  to  dampen  the  zeal  of  one 
less  despairing  than  myself." 

She  tells  of  riding  a  hundred  miles  on  horse- 
back, to  circulate  papers  I  had  sent  her,  and 
obtain  subscribers,  but  with  sorry  success. 
Many  declared  they  would  not  take,  or  read,  a 
paper  published  or  edited  by  a  woman!  Well, 
thank  the  Lord,  the  day  is  breaking. 

From  Edwards  county,  Miss.,  Mrs.  Jamison 
wrote  that  she  and  her  husband  went  to  work 


MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE.       529 

upon  /eceiving  my  circular  and  temperance 
literature,  and  organized  nine  Sabbath-schools 
into  Temperance  Societies,  numbering  600  chil- 
dren. At  one  of  their  temperance  meetings  300 
adults  and  48  children  signed  the  pledge — nearly 
a  thousand  as  the  result  iri  that  county. 

"  BLOODY  COPIAH." 

I  have  been  very  much  interested  in  reading  in 
the  papers,  from  time  to  time,  of  the  remarkable 
fact  that  Copiah  county,  Mississippi, — "Bloody 
Copiah" — was  actually  a  prohibition  county, 
where  there  was  no  liquor  ;  and  as  a  matter  of 
course,  crime,  of  whatever  shape,  had  almost 
entirely  disappeared.  But  I  said  the  world  did 
not  know  that  it  was  the  transforming  hand  of  a 
Crusader  that  was  laid  on  "Bloody  Copiah" 
and  changed  it  into  "  Prohibition  Copiah." 

In  opening  up  my  Southern  work,  I  was  glad 
to  remember  that  one  of  the  first  and  most 
helpful  ladies  that  came  and  stood  by  me  in  the 
first  days  of  my  work,  our  dear  Mrs.  A.  E.  B. 
Ridgely,  was  now  living  in  Hazelhurst,  Copiah 
county,  Miss.  I  hastened  to  write  to  her,  send- 
ing my  circular,  with  the  request  that  she  send  it 
to  her  county  paper,  indorsing  it  with  an  article 
from  her  own  pen. 

She  answered  at  once,  but  said,  while  she  saw 
the  great  need  of  enlisting  the  women  of  the 
Sottth  in  the  temperance  work,  the  whole  thing 
loomed  up  before  her  such  a  mountain  of  diffi- 
culties that  her  heart  fainted,  "But  life  is  a 

(34) 


53O  MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE. 

succession  of  overcomings. "  It  was  such  an 
unheard  of  thing  for  ladies  to  take  part  in  any 
such  public  work,  that  she  had  little  hope  of  any 
consideration  being  given  the  subject.  But  she 
sent  the  appeal  to  the  paper,  with  an  article  of 
her  own,  and  wrote  me,  "The  editor  of  the 
Copiakan,  our  county  paper,  published  your 
circular  and  a  short  article  of  my  own  very 
promptly,  and  called  attention  to  the  article  in  a 
short  paragraph.  The  next  issue  contained  a 
letter  from  Dr.  Rowan,  of  Beauregard,  ( in  this 
county),  calling  upon  the  people  to  rise  up  and 
take  action  in  regard  to  the  liquor  question  in 
their  county.  (There  was  no  reference,  however, 
to  the  article  of  the  week  before.)  Quite  a  heated 
discussion  followed,  then  a  meeting  to  issue  a 
call  for  a  County  Convention.  The  Convention 
was  held ;  the  ladies  had  been  particularly 
invited ;  there  were  not  many  in  attendance,  but 
they  were  invited  to  sign  the  constitution  and  to 
vote  upon  questions  before  the  house.  No  word, 
however,  acknowledging  the  origin  of  the  move- 
ment." 

But  said  my  friend,  "  I  thought  if  they  would 
only  do  all  that  might  be  done,  you  would 
rejoice  in  that  fact,  satisfied  to  remain  an  un- 
known promoter  of  good  measures.  /  felt  that 
/would." 

I  sent  Our  Union  and  other  papers,  which 
Mrs.  R.  judiciously  distributed.  A  petition  was 
circulated  against  granting  the  application  of  the 
saloon-keeper  in  Hazelhurst  for  a  renewal  of  his 


MEMORIES   OP  THE   CRUSADE.  53! 

license.  It  was  not  long  till  "  Bloody  Copiah  " 
was  heralded  to  the  world  as  ' '  Prohibition 
Copiah."  I  do  not  claim  for  my  Crusade  co- 
worker,  neither  does  she  for  herself  claim,  more 
than  that  "solitary  and  alone  she  put  the  ball 
in  motion." 

I  have  felt  all  through  the  penning  of  this 
history  of  my  Southern  experience,  that  I  ought 
to  apologize  to  my  sisters  who  are  to-day  doing 
such  marvelous  work  in  all  fields,  for  making  so 
much  of  this  year's  work,  for  I  am  sure,  to  them  it 
looks  hardly  worth  the  attention  I  am  claiming 
for  it.  But  I  would  beg  them  to  remember  that 
this  was  in  1880  (  eight  years  ago).  It  was  the 
beginning.  I  went  by  call  of  the  Master,  carry- 
ing the  olive  branch  of  the  \V.  C.  T.  U.,  and 
the  people — women  and  men — gave  me  a  warm 
welcome  and  cordially  co-operated  with  me  in 
planting  it  in  that  warm,  Southern  soil;  and 
while  it  was  watered  with  many  a  tear  and  watched 
with  almost  painful  solicitude,  in  that  day  of 
small  beginnings,  I  am  to-day  filled  with  rejoicing 
that  Miss  \Villard,  our  President,  and  others  have 
followed  and  been  able  in  the  years  since  to  do  a 
blessed  work,  with  the  assistance  of  Mesdames 
Sallie  Chapin,  who  has  come  to  her  kingdom 
for  such  a  time  as  this,  Lide  Merriweather, 
Mollie  McGee  Snell,  with  a  whole  regiment  of 
like  faith  and  work.  These,  our  Southern  sisters, 
are  pushing  the  battle  to  the  gates  of  the  enemy, 
and  are,  by  their  untiring  zeal  and  practical 
methods,  often  giving  us  hints  we  would  do  well 


532  MEMORIES  OF  THE   CRUSADE. 

to  act  upon.  While  thus  working  for  their  own 
beloved  South  land,  they  have  gladly  joined  us 
in  bridging  the  chasm  of  sectional  hate,  and  in 
pouring  the  oil  of  Christ's  blessed  Gospel  of 
peace  and  good-will  to  all  mankind  on  the 
troubled  waters.  And  so  are  we  once  more  a 
united  people, — united  through  the  loving  mis- 
sion of  the  Woman's  Christian  Temperance 
Union. 

On  the  4th  of  October,  1887,  the  Ohio  State 
Union  held  its  fourteenth  annual  convention  in 
Springfield,  where  it  was  organized  thirteen 
years  before.  I  deem  it  appropriate  in  closing 
this  story  of  the  Crusade,  to  copy  a  few  extracts 
from  the  address  of  welcome  I  had  the  honor  of 
delivering  to  the  delegates  on  that  occasion  : 

Thirteen  years  ago  Ohio  organized  the  first  State 
W.  C.  T.  Union  of  the  world,  little  knowing  whith- 
erto  it  would  lead.  We  had  come  to  see  that  such 
an  organization  was  imperatively  needed  to  syste- 
matically and  continuously  prosecute  the  work  to 
which  we  had  consecrated  our  lives.  Days  of 
beginnings  were  these, — of  laying  foundations  and 
opening  up  highways  for  woman's  feet  to  tread,  in 
fields  hitherto  deemed  inaccessible  to  woman. 

To  day,  as  we  naturally  cast  a  retrospective  glance 
back  over  the  intervening  years,  we  exclaim,  "Be- 
hold what  hath  God  wrought  —  wrought  by  the 
hand  of  woman  !" 

In  every  State  and  Territory  in  our  beloved  land, 
from  the  State  of  the  midnight  pine  to  the  golden 
gate,  from  the  far  Northwest  to  the  Keys  of  the  Land  of 
Flowers,  we  are  fully  organized  and  actively  pushing 
forward  our  work.  Women  hitherto  separated  by 
sectional  strifes  and  prejudices,  growing  out  of  that 
other  great  national  sin  and  conflict,  are  to-day  side 
by  side  in  most  loving  harmony,  vying  with  each 
other  in  zeal  and  good  works  for  home  and  native 


MEMORIES   OF  THE   CRUSADE. 


533 


land.  But  not  to  our  own  shores  was  the  blessed 
work  confined, — the  sound  thereof  has  gone  out  into 
all  the  world. 

I  shall  ne\  er  forget  the  emotion  that  thrilled  my 
breast  as,  standing  addressing  a  ladies'  conference 
in  Belfast,  Ireland,  on  the  2ist  of  April,  1876,  a. 
telegram  was  handed  me  from  Mrs.  Parker,  of 
Dundee,  Scotland,  dated  New  Castle-upon-Tyne, 
announcing  the  glorious  news  of  the  organization  of 
the  British  Woman's  Temperance  Association  there. 
This  had  been  the  burden  of  my  mission  to  that 
country,  and  together,  she  and  I  had  matured  our 
plans,  and  parting  at  Glasgow,  she  going  to  New 
Castle,  and  by  the  aid  of  the  Good  Templars,  whose 
Grand  Lodge  was  at  that  time  in  session  there,  to  put 
our  purpose  into  execution ;  I,  to  Belfast,  by  invita- 
tion, to  speak  at  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Irish 
Temperance  League. 

And  thus  Great  Britain  gladly  clasped  hands  across 
the  ocean  with  us  in  this  holy  war.  Now,  in  the 
Queen's  possessions,  on  which  they  boast  that  "the 
sun  never  sets,"  they  are  emulating  us  and  provoking 
us  to  good  works. 

When,  as  fraternal  delegate  from  our  National  W. 
C.  T.  U.,  I  attended  the  meeting  of  the  R.  W.  Grand 
Lodge  of  Good  Templars  in  Saratoga,  last  May,  I 
made  very  happy  by  meeting  Mrs.  Denholm, 
then  of  London,  the  Secretary  of  the  first  Union  I 
formed  in  Great  Britain,  now  of  Cape  Town,  South 
Africa,  and  Vice- President  of  the  World's  Union  for 
the  dark  continent.  And  one  of  our  own,  a  gentle- 
spirited  Quakeress,  Mary  Clement  Leavitt,  is  sweep- 
ing around  the  world  laden  with  the  good  news  of  the 
W.  C.  T.  Union  for  God  and  Home  and  ALL  LANDS, 
winning  victories  and  accessions  to  our  cause  every- 
where. Think  of  it!  In  Japan,  in  China,  countries 
whose  gates  were  only  so  recently  barred  to  woman, 
and  to  attempt  to  enter  which  would  have  cost  her 
life;  in  India,  Siam,  holdiii.  counsel  with 

crowned  heads  in  the  interest  of  our  blessed  work. 
And  thus,  to-day,  the  World  18  girdled  with  a  band 
of  white  ribbon,  and  the  white  winded  dove  of  prohi- 
bition, prosperity,  purity  and  peace  shall  ere  lung  perch 
upon  our  banner. 


534  MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE. 

What  has  this  phenomenal  broadening  of  woman's 
field  brought  to  her  as  an  individual  ?  Oh,  so  much, 
beyond  the  power  of  the  most  vivid  imagination  to 
have  forecast.  A  spiritual  and  intellectual  develop- 
ment of  which  we  had  no  previous  conception. 
Women,  not  in  the  least  conscious  of  the  rich  gifts 
and  powers  with  which  the  Father  had  endowed 
them,  having,  as  their  several  talents  were  laid  at 
the  Master's  feet,  been  called  into  this  great  army, 
have  astonished  the  world  with  their  ability  to  devise, 
plan,  organize,  thrill  and  sway  great  audiences  with 
burning  words  of  eloquence,  write  books,  edit  and 
publish  newspapers,— our  Union  Signal  being  a  wit- 
ness of  which  we  are  justly  proud. 

The  Secretary  reports  thirty-eight  States,  six  terri- 
tories, and  the  District  of  Columbia,  under  organiza- 
tion. Forty  various  branches  of  benevolent  work, 
some  of  which  we  had  been  in  doubt  as  to  the  right 
or  expediency  of  women  entering  upon,  have  we 
taken  up  in  the  interest  of  humanity,  and  for  the 
amelioration  of  the  sorrows  of  this  sin-laden  world. 

A  mighty  force  is  this  W.  C.  T.  U.,  influencing 
and  winning  the  profoundest  respect  of  municipal, 
educational,  corporate  and  religious  bodies  and 
legislative  assemblies — even  of  the  Executive  of  the 
Nation.  It  would  seem,  indeed,  as  if  the  blessed 
Lord  were  saying  to  us  by  the  tokens  of  his  favor, 
"Oh,  woman,  great  is  thy  faith,  be  it  unto  thee  as 
thou  wilt." 

What  has  it  brought  to  the  Christian  world  ?  An 
awakening  of  conscience  and  agitation  on  the  drink 
question  of  which  we  have  no  previous  record  in 
history. 

To  the  home  ?  An  enlightenment  and  education 
that  shall  give  to  the  world  a  generation  of  strong, 
brave  men,  and  true,  devoted  women,  who  shall 
grasp  the  standard  from  our  hands  as  they  shall  fall 
palsied  in  death,  and  bear  the  colors  of  Temperance 
and  Total  Prohibition  aloft,  and  will  push  the  battle 
to  the  final  overthrow  of  the  reign  of  King  Alcohol, 
and  usher  in  the  day  of  gladness  for  which  our  eyes 
are  growing  dim  with  the  watching. 

What  to  the  victims  of  the  dread  curse  ?  Restored 
manhood,  happy  women,  glad,  shouting,  little  chil- 


MEMORIES  OF  THE  CRUSADE. 


535 


dren,  bright,  happy  homes,  where  God  is  reverenced 
and  worshiped.  What  woman  does  not,  to-day, 
remembering  all  the  way  He  hath  led  us,  exclaim 
from  the  depths  of  a  heart  surcharged  with  gratitude, 
"  I  am  glad  1  am  in  this  army  ?" 

We  have  not  attained  the  end  of  our  hope — the 
total  annihilation  of  the  curse.  Ah,  no !  But, 
stimulated  even  by  the  apparent  defeat  we  have 
experienced  in  the  past,  through  intriguing  politi- 
cians, bribery  and  fraud,  procured  by  the  liquor- 
dealers'  gold  at  the  ballot-box,  and  even  in  legislative 
halls,  we  renew  the  conflict  day  by  day.  We  know 
the  victory  must  come.  Everything  that  defileth, 
everything  that  can  hurt  in  His  holy  mountain,  shall 
be  destroyed ;  for  the  mouth  of  the  Lord  God  Om- 
nipotent hath  spoken  it. 


ADDENDA. 


A    WREATH    OF    IMMORTELLES. 

AM  happy  after  some  pains  of  inquiry  to  present  each  reader  of 
the  preceding  pages  with  this  living  Boquet  of  Immortelles  that 
shall  continue  to  distill  the  sweet  odors  of  Christian  love  and 
charity,  and  shall  increase  in  marvelous  beauty  as  the  years  roll 
These  names  of  the  heroic  women  who  meekly,  but  bravely,  bore 
insult  and  imprisonment,  not  counting  their  lives  dear  unto  them,  for 
the  blessed  work  to  which  the  Master  had  called  them,  shall  be  conned 
with  reverence  by  the  coming  generations,  while  with  amazement  and 
indignation  they  will  ask  if  it  can  be  possible  that  there  was  a  time  in 
this  land  of  boasted  freedom  when  Christian  women  were  insulted,  and 
even  imprisoned,  for  trying  to  save  their  husbands  and  sons  from  that 
scourge  of  mankind,  the  liquor  saloon. 

Cincinnati  contributes  to  the  wreath  the  forty-three  arrested  May, 
1874, — as  Mrs.  Leavitt,  the  leader,  puts  it,  for  "praying  on  the  street," 
with  age  and  nationality,  all  according  to  law! 

Mrs.  S.  K.  Leavitt,  leader  ;  Mrs.  W.  Whitridge,  Mrs.  W.  I.  Fee, 
Mrs.  C.  H.  Payne,  Mrs.  Anna  McHugh,  Mrs.  D.  H.  Baldwin,  Mrs.  Dr. 
Carter,  Mrs.  C.  H.  Folger,  Mrs.  Sarah  Shipley,  Mrs.  Mary  White,  Mrs. 
A.  F.  Whitman,  Mrs.  L.  M.  McKenzie,  Miss  Ella  King,  Mrs.  Mary 
Frances,  Mrs.  J.  E.  Massey,  Miss  Mary  Talbott,  Mrs.  Kate  M.  Warden, 
Miss  Jennie  Forbes,  Miss  Helen  Russell,  Mrs.  Susan  Sutton,  Mrs.  Mary 
Whittaker,  Mrs.  F.  French,  Mrs.  Mary  A.  French,  Mrs.  Maria  Stevens, 
Mrs.  Olive  Roseboom,  Mrs.  A.  V.  Crum,  Mrs.  Lottie  Oldrieve,  Mrs.  H. 
Robinson,  Mrs.  Lizzie  Hervey,  Miss  Lottie  Nunn,  Miss  Mary  Scott, 
Mrs.  E.  B.  Dalton,  Miss  Anna  Nunn,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Hopkins,  Mrs.  I. 
R.  Squires,  Mrs.  Fred.  Hambold,  Mrs.  M.  I.  Mansfort,  Mrs.  Mary 
Warren,  Mrs.  Ellen  Henson,  Mrs.  E.  H.  Mann,  Mrs.  Wealthy  Fisk, 
Mrs.  S.  R.  Elstner,  Mrs.  C.  H.  Taylor. 

Pittsburg  brings  the  following  thirty-two  names  arrested  May  22, 
1874,  to  add  to  the  boquet :  • 

Mrs.  A.  W.  Black,  the  leader,  with  her  son,  Mr.  A.  W.  Black,  who 
always  walked  by  his  mother  as  her  protector;  Mrs.  Van  Horn,  Mrs. 
Matchett,  Mrs.  W.W.  Morris,  Mrs.  Sarah  Moffett,  Mrs.  Alice  Gillchrist, 
Mrs.  Macken,  Miss  E.  B.  Carmichael,  Miss  A.  A.  Starr,  Miss  Pearl 
Starr,  Miss  Lee  Starr,  Mrs.  Youngson,  Mrs.  M.  B.  Reese,  Mrs.  John 
Foster,  Mrs.  Mary  Caldwell,  Miss  Bessie  Black,  Mrs.  J.  S.  Collins,  Mrs. 
Johnston,  Mrs.  M.  Gray,  Mrs.  J.  I.  Logan,  Mrs.  Grace  Hopefull,  Mrs. 
M.  E.  Tutell,  Mrs.  A,  Hill,  Mrs.  Samuel  Allinder,  Mrs.  W.  M.  Gormly, 
Miss  E.  Beeson,  Mrs.  D.  M.  Courtney,  Mrs.  Jane  Nelson,  Mrs.  Martha 
Woods,  Miss  E.  J.  Foster,  Miss  McClung. 

Properly  enough,  Springfield  brings  her  gift  of  two  ladies  to  add  to 
this  unique  boquet,  Mrs.  Charity  Little  and  Mrs.  Nancy  Pearson,  who 
were  arrested  on  April  isth,  1874,  charged  with  obstructing  the  sidewalk 
while  quietly  sitting  near  Mitsche's  saloon.  The  charge  was  not  sus- 
tained, though  some  tremendous  swearing  was  done  to  effect  it.  It  was 
in  this  saloon  that  a  murder  had  been  committed  only  some  weeks 
before,  the  owners  being  implicated,  causing  much  excitement.  Here, 
however,  was  the  saloon  still  doing  a  "lawful  business,"  while  these. 
Christian  ladies  were  arrested  for  keeping  guard  over  it. 


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j  ICLF  (N) 


PECS    1954  UJ 


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RECtlvED 


jLOA.N 


'78 


3  199] 
MITOBISCDEC07' 


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M134192 


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